The Temptation of Darkness
by In The Beginning
Summary: They're going to save him; after all, he is their friend, and nothing can stand a chance against three heroes. Or so they thought... slight IkexPit.
1. Sentence

(As of 9/22, I'm rewriting "The Temptation of Darkness" in an attempt to make it more epic while tying up some loose ends that have appeared in the middle of the story. Chapter thirteen is in progress, and will be posted eventually.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo)

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter One: Sentence

* * *

_Long ago, before the beginning, darkness reigned supreme. Its dominion stretched to all corners of the universe; no life was allowed under the cold hand of gloom._

_And then came the light..._

* * *

"You think you can dodge this?!"

He barely dodges the flaming sword that grazes against his Hylian Shield.

"I don't think, I kn--"

The blue arrow that follows finds its target; the blunt force of raw light sends Link flying off the stage, disappearing in the distance.

"_Ghaaaaa!_"

"Apparently, you're misinformed," Ike smirks, shouldering Ragnell before looking around. "Pit! Where are you?"

"Here!" a voice chimes from above; Pit leans over the edge of the highest platform, soft white wings fluttering in the breeze.

"Nice shot!"

"Thanks, Ike!" the angel chirps, a cheery smile on his face as the arrow returns to him as a band of golden light. "Watch out behind you-- Marth's coming!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the mercenary spins around, narrowly blocking Marth's strike; Pit glides to a distant platform, readying yet another arrow on his magic bow.

A closer and more motley band of fighters exists nowhere else in the world; the bonds of friendship that tie the four swordsmen together have grown beyond the point of destruction. Even if the stability finds itself in danger-- like now, for example, with Ike and Pit holding a clear lead over Link and Marth in the team stock match-- everything quickly returns to a state of balance.

In this case, equilibrium returns with the help of a Smash Ball.

Not even Pit's distance saves him from Falchion; the prince's Final Smash sends both of his opponents flying offstage.

"_Nice!_" Link crows as he falls back to the ground, mock-saluting his teammate. "That was _amazing!_"

"Yes, it was, wasn't it?" Marth laughs, pushing his long blue bangs out of his eyes. "If you only saw the look on Ike's face..."

"I wish I could have--"

The soft sound of someone falling back to earth turns the heads of the Altean and the Hylian...

Ike stands before them, Ragnell's blade embedded in the ground.

"I congratulate you, prince," he chuckles, his crimson cape billowing in the wind. "I must say, your latest display of skill and timing has inspired something within me..."

Silence, save for the sound the whistling wind...

Link, Ike and Marth double over from the force of their laughter.

"How hard did you hit your head on the way out?" Link beams, faint laughs still falling from his lips as he stands upright.

"That's a good question," the mercenary grins, a mirthful glimmer in his eyes as he places a hand over the handle of his blade. "I've got a better one; do you two think you can take me on?"

Marth and Link shoot each other the briefest of questioning glances before leaping forward--

"_Now, Pit!_"

"_Squadron! MOVE OUT!_"

"Oh, _shi--!!_"

The Hylian and Altean's forward advance ends abruptly with the sudden change of events; the two swordsmen concern themselves more with dodging the Centurion Army. Their efforts, however, are wasted-- each attacking angel sends them flying higher and higher, until there's nowhere to go but down...

"_Ike!_"

The blue-haired fighter pulls his blade from the ground with ease; holding it high overhead, he feels the blade tremble as the forces of Chaos build from within...

"_HRAAAAAAH!_"

His battle cry echoes, ringing in even the furthest corners of the stage; no shield saves the falling adversaries from the flames of Ragnell.

"Oh, _yes!_" Pit cheers, jumping excitedly as Marth and Link become little more than small stars of color. "That was _incredible!_"

"The power of teamwork!" Ike laughs as his partner finally flies down, standing beside him.

Marth and Link land in front of their opponents, mirthless smiles on their faces.

"_You, _good sirs," Link announces, pointing the Master Sword forward, "may go to _hell._"

No further words interrupt the trademark sounds of battle as the fight resumes. The hopes of victory burn brightly in each fighter's mind; clashing blades and exploding items do little more than increase the desire, the need to emerge as winner--

The flickering lights, however, don't go unnoticed.

"What...?"

Swords are lowered, and gazes shift as they search in vain for the cause of the technical difficulties.

"That was weird..."

"Do you thi--"

The descension of total darkness ends all comments, for it is hard to think when shock takes hold of the senses.

"H-hey! What's going on?!"

Weapons fall from their hands; silence follows the sound of their heavy clanging, thick and oppressive as it smothers them all...

"...so, how long 'til Master Hand gets the power back up _this_ time?"

Nobody is surprised that Ike has chosen to be the breaker of the silence.

"Hopefully not _too_ long," Marth sighs, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes. "But we're going to have to start the match over..."

"Man," Link grumbles, lifting his blade from the ground once more and sheathing it. "And we were just about to win, too!"

"...we were?"

"Yeah, you were," Pit butts in, grinning childishly, "if you can win by being the first to lose all your lives."

"Pfah! You're just jealous 'cause you can't fall _nearly_ as fast as I can!"

Laughter fills the silent stage...

The cold chill of fear crawls up Ike's back.

In an instant, he snatches Ragnell from the ground, spinning to face the darkness; the stares of his friends do nothing to pry his eyes away from the shadows, which seem to move of their own accord...

"Ike...?"

"Something's out there," Ike growls, alarm bells ringing in his mind. "Something dangerous..."

No other words are needed; the other fighters gather close to Ike, weapons drawn and senses heightened.

They doubt their eyes, though, as they see faint outlines of solid structures slowly vanish under the cloak of darkness...

"...wha-- _ghaaaa!_"

Marth's cry steals his friends' attention; they can only stare in horror as the shadows pull him away, dragging him out of sight...

"_Marth!_" Link shouts as the prince's voice dies away, chasing after where he had stood. "_Ma-- gyaaaaah!_"

Ebony tendrils snake around the Hylian's body, hoisting him into the air; his panicked screams fade away with him as the Master Sword plummets to the ground...

"...Ike? What... what's happening?" Pit whispers, the slightest quiver of fear in his voice.

Silence...

"...I-Ike...?"

"Sh! ...stay close."

Pit jumps slightly as he slides closer to the mercenary...

He feels the fiery flames of Ragnell lick at his delicate wings.

"Ah...!"

"Stay close--"

The angel presses his back to Ike's, eyes widening as the shadows creep ever closer to him--

"_Graaaah!_"

The crimson glow of fire engulfs the mercenary and the angel; the black enigma hisses, curling away from them both--

"Pit, look! There-- that's Marth!"

Pit spins around, his cerulean eyes following Ike's hand--

"Ah! I see him!"

"Quick shoot a light arrow, maybe we can get him back--"

The fading glow of the saving fire flickers out of existence.

Ike tries to scream, but can't-- the dark fog covers his mouth, chokes him as he suddenly finds himself fighting for breath, surrounds his body as his senses fade and he reaches out...

"_Ike!_" Pit cries, reaching for the hand that disappears, that melts away into nothing at his touch. "_IKE!_"

The darkness rumbles, looming over the lone fighter, eager to claim the final victim--

Pit holds up his bow, the golden arrow materializing at his fingertips.

Immediately, the shadows around him clear as the luminous blaze cloaks him; his sparkling blue eyes focus where Ike had been pointing just seconds ago...

The arrow flies.

An inhuman shriek shatters the silence as the bolt pierces through the darkness; it vanishes as quickly as it came when Marth and Link both plummet back to the ground, and the arrow of light returns to the angel's wrist.

"Link! Marth!" he calls out, dashing over to his unconscious friends and kneeling beside them. "Are yo--"

He sees their pallid faces; his own skin begins to lose its hue.

"Guys, wake up! C'mon, this isn't the time t--"

The words freeze in his throat as the dark cloud descends upon him; his eyes widen as he tries to break free from the shadows' grasp, but can't...

But the sound of a foreign noise-- of a distant cry of agony-- wrenches the angel's heart from his chest.

"_Ike!_" Pit chokes out, narrowing his eyes as he searches for his friend through the darkness. "_Ike, where are y--_"

Pitch black envelops him, lifting the helpless angel from the floor; ice seems to cascade down his body as the darkness holds Pit in its unrelenting grasp.

"_Urk--!_"

_Now, now,_ a voice hisses, taking delight in the angel's futile struggling. _Must you be so loud? You'll ruin everything..._

The words are little more than incoherent sounds as Pit fights to free himself from the grasp of darkness...

_Oh, but I'm sure that's what you want, anyways. That won't do... so, how shall I punish you?_

The haze that clouds his vision suddenly parts; Pit's cerulean eyes widen in horror as he sees Ike's Ike's unnaturally still body, blood spilling from his unmoving lips.

"_Ike!_"

_Shall I kill him?_

From thin air, Ragnell appears, hovering over the unconscious mercenary; despite all attempts at self-control, Pit kicks and screams, praying to Palutena that Ike will be spared...

_...no... I think I will be kind. He will live... for now._

Shadows once again separate the angel from his human friend; the familiar ring of falling metal, however, brings a perverse sense of peace to Pit's mind.

_You, however..._

He has no time to scream as cold steel suddenly runs through his side--

_You shall suffer in his place._

Only as he falls does Pit realize that he can't feel the flow of blood that should be dripping down his side...

* * *

Link opens his eyes to be greeted by both bright lights and a pounding headache.

"Ow... for the love of Din, what happened...?"

He sits up to more closely examine his surroundings--

"Ah, so I see Sleeping Beauty's finally woken up."

The Hylian sharply turns his head, instantly cursing the repercussions.

"Marth...? Marth, what happened?"

"Wish I could tell you," the Altean prince sighs, tiredly rubbing at his eyes. "Apparently, Master Hand got us out as soon as the system started functioning normally again..."

"Ten rupees says that whatever that thing was broke it in the first place."

"That's Ike's guess, too."

Chuckling mirthlessly, Link glances around the room... room 343, as he seems to recall from his many trips to the hospital ward. He recognizes that window.

"Where _is_ Ike, anyways?" he suddenly asks. "...for that matter, where's _Pit?_"

Marth bites his lip in hesitation.

"Ike woke up a few minutes after I did," he admits. "But when Master Hand came in and said Pit wasn't looking too good, he just lost it... I've never seen someone run so quickly out of a room, especially when they're bleeding as much as he was."

Link can't help but let out a low whistle...

Neither the blonde nor the bluenette notice the dull, bronze medallion, nearly buried amongst the thin sheets of Ike's hospital bed.

* * *

(End chapter one.

For old readers, you can see there's some differences; for new readers, for a while, the tone of the writing is going to shift between chapters. That'll be taken care of soon enough.

Please review.)


	2. Leutessence

(May I thank the people who read and reviewed this so far, and the people who didn't review-- and those who didn't read. I shall continue this story, just to spite them. :D

Nintendo Nut1 helped a tad a bit with creative elements in this story, but mostly with working out plot stuff. If you haven't read her stuff, go check it out to see what kind of creative genius is helping me with this. Seriously, she's good.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her

The term "leutessence" © Language)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Two: Leutessence

* * *

_This light, pure and holy, destroyed the darkness, ending the reign of lifelessness forever._

_This brilliant radiance had a name..._

* * *

"How long till we find out if Pit's okay...?"

Link's quiet mutter did not go unnoticed by Marth and Ike, who also waited outside the hospital wing for their angelic friend...

"The real question," Ike sighed, his navy eyes gazing off into the distance, "is how much longer can we wait before I just break down some doors and find out right now?"

He hadn't really intended for his comment to be funny; nevertheless, it succeeded in coaxing a small chuckle from the Hylian and Altean swordsmen.

Apparently, the door had feared Ike's threat, for at that moment it opened; Pit stumbled out, followed by a quietly floating Master Hand.

"Pit!"

"Hey, guys..." Pit replied weakly, a feeble smile playing at his lips. His skin had not shed its anemic tone; no shimmer brightened his dull eyes...

"He'll be alright," Master Hand informed as Marth, Ike and Link rose to their feet. "...at least, he will be for now."

"For now?" Marth repeated confusedly. "What... what's going on?"

"...outside," Pit spoke, swaying slightly where he stood. "It would be better... if we talked outside..."

"...alright then," Link spoke. "Let's go."

* * *

The sun gleamed brightly in the clear sky; a gentle wind lightly brushed the earth, barely disturbing the lush grass or the leafy trees...

As soon as the sunlight fell upon his pale skin, Pit's whole visage changed; color crept back into his face, his limp hair bounced lightly with each step he took, and the faint glimmer reappeared in the angel's sapphire eyes.

"Ah... that's what I thought," Pit frowned. "This is bad..."

"What? What's wrong?" Marth queried, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

A quiet sigh escaped the brunette's lips as he turned around to face his three friends and Master hand, leaning against the balcony railing as he did so.

"That... _force,_ whatever it was... stole my light."

"...your light...?"

"Do any of you know what quintessence is?" Pit asked, the soft breeze calmly tousling his dark brown locks.

"Roy mentioned something about it once or twice, before he left," Link recalled, dragging the memory to the front of his mind. "It's... life energy, right?"

"Yes, it is," the angel nodded briefly. "All living things have quintessence— nothing can exist without it. Angels have a small amount of quintessence, too... but they have a more powerful, more eminent force that keeps them alive."

"...you're speaking of leutessence, correct?" Master Hand spoke, his booming voice startling Ike, Marth and Link.

"Yes," Pit replied. "Leutessence-- light energy, as most people call it-- is what gives angels their holy powers. However, unlike quintessence, which inevitably fades away over many decades, leutessence can be replenished-- and requires constant restoration... angels cannot usually live for very long on the earth."

"...then, how have you been able to stay here for so long?" Marth asked, his innocent tone contradictory to his challenging words.

Pit merely lifted his left arm; only two dull silver bracelets rested on his slender wrist...

"...they used to be golden, didn't they?" Ike suddenly realized. "Your goddess-- she infused them with light for you, didn't she?"

"She did... and that force took it, somehow. Sitting out here in the sun helps restore my leutessence, somewhat, but..."

"But you don't have much time, because you lose some light every night," Link concluded, sensing where Pit's unfinished sentence was headed.

An unnerving silence hung in the air...

"...well then, shall we get ready to leave?"

All eyes turned confusedly towards Ike as the mercenary pushed himself away from the wall he had rested against, moving towards the open door.

"Ike...?"

"_I'm_ not going to sit around and hope that that... _thing _chooses to come back with Pit's light," Ike announced. "So, is anyone going to help me go find it?"

For a tense few moments, the only motion was caused by the wind's light force on hair and loose clothing...

"...well, someone has to make sure that you don't go and hurt yourself," Link grinned, shaking his bangs out of his eyes before standing upright once again.

"And then someone will have to make sure that nobody hurts _you,_" Marth sighed, a faint smile creeping to his lips.

"Am I really that much of a disaster magnet?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of thoughtless fool, but whatever floats your boat..."

* * *

"Ragnell... vulnerary... food..."

Ike's packing was interrupted by a loud tap on the door.

"Come in," he called out, stuffing the healing herbs into the pouch that hung from his belt.

"You were here the last time I tried to enter a room with a small doorway, Ike."

"Just give me a second, Master Hand."

The blue-haired mercenary quickly snatched his sword off of his mattress before stepping out of his room.

"What is it, sir?"

"Ike, do you happen to recognize this?"

The floating glove flung a small medallion towards the warrior; Ike scrambled to catch it before bringing the token close to him, examining it carefully--

"...this is--!"

His panic suddenly faded, replaced by curiosity.

"...no, this isn't Lehran's Medallion... is it? ...where did you find this?" (1)

"I found it on the stage, after you all got out," Master Hand explained. "If you recognize it, then it might be a clue. You may find a way to help Pit if you go to Tellius... but you should be careful, Ike. This will be a dangerous journey for the three of you..."

"...you sound like you know something about this, sir."

"Come. I will tell you what I think of the situation on our way to the Portal."

Ike tucked the medallion into one of the many small pockets along his belt as he and Master Hand traveled down the twisting halls.

"I've heard a tale," the dismembered hand began, "about the beginning of all worlds... Before there was life, darkness existed... nothing but darkness. And then came a light... The Great Illumination, as it came to be called, created an environment in which life could thrive..."

"What happened to the darkness?" Ike queried, his interest piqued.

"From what I heard, the darkness was killed... but based on what you four told me, it sounds like that may not be the truth. I've already warned Link and Marth; you three may be dealing with an evil that came before time itself..."

* * *

"Hey, Ike... where are we going, anyways?"

"Sienne, the capital of Begnion. I must speak with the apostle; she may be able to point us in the right direction." (2)

Link, Marth and Ike stood before the entrance of a large, swirling portal, waiting patiently for Master Hand to finish entering the coordinates into the system.

"...alright, guys. You're good to go. When you're ready to come back, just return to where you were dropped off."

"Well... let's get going, then."

Link was the first to go, bravely walking through the portal; Marth paused for the briefest of moments before following his blonde friend into the unknown...

"Ike! _Ike!_"

Ike stopped, turning to see Pit hurrying towards him, his brown hair fanning out behind him.

"Pit? ...there's no chance in hell of you co--"

"I know that!" the young angel snapped, his pallid color betraying his fiery temper. "I'm not going to go with... but I just wanted you to know... if you do something stupid that gets you killed, I'm... I'm never going to forgive you, alright?"

The blue-haired mercenary chuckled, ruffling Pit's dark hair.

"I know you won't... don't worry about it. I promise, I'm not going to die... who'd help you kick Marth and Link's asses in team matches if I did?"

A childish grin pulled at Pit's lips, almost out of place on his ashen face.

"Alright... I'm holding you to that! ...so hurry back, alright?"

"Of course."

Upon hearing Ike's confirmation, the angel slowly backed away, his gaze never averting...

"...be careful, Ike."

Ike merely nodded in response, stepping into the portal...

All that was left for Pit to do was pray for his friends' safety.

* * *

(End chapter two.

(1) In pretty much every Fire Emblem game to date, there is an object that is the "Fire Emblem." In Marth's game, it was a shield; in Ike's games, it is a medallion. If I revealed more information, it would spoil some big plot points.

(2) Begnion is the largest country in all of Tellius. It is also a theocracy.

Next chapter will be a lot of... Fire-Emblem-ness. I will... not be too "you HAVE to have played Fire Emblem to understand this"-ish, because I know that it's quite frustrating to be completely lost and have nothing explained.

Please review!)


	3. Proof

(I am very thankful to the people who have reviewed so far-- and trust me, J. Q. Aoi, your repeating yourself is not annoying in the least; it helps me by saying I'm actually doing something right. :D

However, unfortunately, I have noticed a disturbing, depressing event, which will be saved for the end of the chapter.

Due to strange planning events, this chapter and a lot of the next is "The Ike Show, Featuring Important Figures in Tellius, With Cameos by Link and Marth." I promise to make up for that in later chapters.

Let's begin.

Characters © Nintendo

Rolen © Me

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Three: Proof

* * *

_The Great Illumination granted light to forces that had only known darkness... and with this light, they slowly began to take shape._

_So was the dawn of known time..._

* * *

"_Ow!_"

Link's sharp cry of pain made Ike cover his ears-- wherever they were had a very prominent echo, and the Hylian hadn't exactly been quietly muttering.

"Hey, you watch where you put that foot!"

"Then you watch where that sword of yours is pointed--"

That did it.

"_**Shut up!!**_"

Ike's roar immediately silenced the pointless quarrel between Marth and Link; the three swordsmen quickly separated themselves, rising to their feet and glancing around...

"So... where are we, Ike?" Link queried, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness.

"...I... am not sure."

"...eh?!"

"Here, help me find a door."

"...this is-- _you_ are the one who chose to come here, and you don't even know where we are?!" Marth asked, incredulous as he and Link followed the mercenary.

"Hey, Sienne's a big city," Ike snapped, refusing to look back at the Altean prince. "Okay, I probably should have been more specific as to where Master Hand should have dropped us off, but there's nothing to do about it now except find a way out."

"...Ike, there's a door."

"Oh? Where?"

Link pointed to an ornate door, large in size but appearing to be surprisingly lightweight.

"Great! C'mon then, let's get out of here."

Despite the frail structure of the door, the sheer size made it nearly impossible to move; it took the combined effort of all three swordsmen to free themselves from the building.

"_Finally!_" Link gasped, nearly collapsing against the door. "Do you recognize where we are _now,_ Ike?"

Silence...

"Yes, unfortunately."

"_Villains!_ Drop your weapons, and raise your hands!"

Ike growled, throwing Ragnell at his feet, lifting his hands as the spear of a Begnion soldier scraped against his throat. Marth, too, was coaxed into disarming himself by the end of a weapon; Link, however, had his blade taken away by force.

"Get your hands off of the--"

"Quiet, you little--"

"Link, just give it up! It's not worth it."

The Hylian growled, letting the soldier take away the Master Sword as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Come on," the captain growled, motioning for his men to surround the swordsmen. "We'll see what the apostle says to do with sinners like you."

Ike set his face into a frown, hiding his relief...

_This might work out after all..._

He could endure the long march through Sienne and the jeering of the Begnion people if it would get him closer to his goal.

* * *

"Pit, it's time for lunch."

"Thank you, Princess... but I'm not really hungry."

Peach's face fell, her light blue eyes flickering slightly.

"Are you sure? Kirby cooked..."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Instead of leaving, the blonde woman sat next to Pit, ignoring the sun that beamed into her eyes.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?"

A faint smile crept to Pit's lips.

"Mm... they've only been gone a couple of hours, but... I can't help but imagine what could go wrong... ...well, imagine what Link is doing wrong, but still..."

Peach giggled.

"Pit... they'll be alright. They'll find a way to get you back to normal... okay? So don't worry too much... otherwise, you'll just get really sad, and that's no fun at all, is it?"

The brunette sighed lightly, his sapphire eyes cast up to the heavens.

"...yeah. You're right... but... I--"

"--will still worry, won't you?"

Pit turned to face Peach, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Yeah... but I won't let it get to me. Promise."

The princess smiled, the happy glow returning to her eyes.

"Good! ...are you hungry now, Pit?"

"...I guess I am kinda hungry-- but... could you bring my food to me, please? it's such a beautiful day... I don't want to--"

"I understand. I'll be back in just a few minutes... maybe I'll even join you! It _is_ a lovely day, after all."

"Thanks, Peach."

Peach nodded in reply, a faint smile still lingering on her lips as she quickly headed back inside to grab lunch for her and Pit.

* * *

"Ike... what have you done?"

Marth's accusatory hiss did not infuriate the mercenary; Ike merely stared at the door in front of him, thinking of the best way to handle the situation.

"...I have done nothing," he finally muttered, a soft sigh obscuring his words. "But if you don't say anything, I may be able to get us out of this mess..."

"Ow!" Link unexpectedly yelped, turning his head to glare at a Begnion soldier. "Watch where you jab that thing!"

"Quiet, you little--"

The doors suddenly flung open; a holy man with dark brown hair stood before the swordsmen, contempt in his jade eyes. (1)

"The apostle will see you now."

Spears digging into their backs urged the weaponless fighters forward; they made no sounds of protest as they marched down the plush red carpet towards the apostle— the voice of the goddess herself... (2)

"Kneel, you dogs, and pray that the apostle grants you your lives."

Ike fell to his knees, daring not to look up; Marth and Link followed his example, praying to their own deities that the mercenary knew what he was doing...

"Rolen, who are these men? And why have you brought them before me?"

A young, female voice rang out; despite the childish pitch, the serious tone revealed wisdom and maturity beyond her years.

"O Holy Apostle Sanaki," the captain began, bowing his armored head, "these are criminals-- men who dared to enter the holy tower of the goddess, fully armed." (3)

A tense pause...

"You! The man in the front. Rise and face me."

Ike stood, his navy eyes looking forward...

The apostle stared back at him with clear amber eyes. Her short, violet hair fell to her pale, bared shoulders; fine garments of red and white silk covered much of her thin body.

"Sir... what is your name?" Sanaki queried, a disinterested look on her childish face.

"My name is Ike," the mercenary proclaimed, quite familiar with the game of wits and words that the empress had begun. "I am the leader of--" (4)

"The apostle did not ask for your life story!" Rolen snapped--

"_Peace,_ Rolen. I will hear what he has to say."

Rolen scowled, but grew silent.

"Continue, 'Ike.'"

"I am the leader of a band of mercenaries based in Crimea, of which the two beorc with me have no connection. However, we have found ourselves here due to forces beyond our control, and I humbly beg for your forgiveness..." (5, 6)

"Do you claim to be the same 'Ike', the same leader of the Crimean mercenaries, that was contracted by now-Queen Elincia to restore her to her throne?"

"I do," Ike affirmed. "I also lay claim to defeating the Black Knight of Daein, helping to uncover the laguz slave trade in Begnion, and possessing the holy blade, Ragnell." (6)

"That is quite a declaration, for someone so low in civil status," the empress commented, rising from her throne. "...Rolen, where are their weapons?"

"My men have brought them here," the captain answered, his dark eyes still burning with resent.

"Bring them to me."

Four soldiers approached the young apostle; two of them each carried one sword, while the remaining pair struggled to bring a single blade to the ruler of Begnion.

"O Holy Apostle... here are the weapons they have carried with them."

Sanaki's eyes fell upon the first blade-- a narrow sword, with an intricate handle, gems wrought into the cool blue steel.

"Whose sword is this? You have my permission to lay claim to it."

"That is mine, apostle," Marth announced, glancing up only to identify the weapon as his own.

"It is a fine blade," the apostle acknowledged. "Show me the next."

Falchion was brought away, replaced by the Master Sword, whose steel glowed with a shimmering white light.

"This is indeed a holy blade..."

"The Master Sword is blessed by the goddesses of my land," Link informed, never raising his head.

"Is that so? I suppose I shall have to visit your lands some day. Bring the final..."

Sanaki paused.

"...no. Give the final sword back to its owner."

"Apostle! Would you truly entrust Ragnell to such a dangerous ma--"

"As is evident right now, Ragnell cannot be easily lifted by ordinary men... and I would believe that Ike would share your difficulty wielding the holy blade, if he is not blessed by the goddess," the empress interrupted. "Besides, even _if_ he has the raw strength necessary to wield Ragnell, only those chosen by Ashera are able to use its holy power."

Ike hid his confusion well as his weapon was brought to him.

_Why would she say such a thing...?_

"Your sword... sir."

Still lost in his thoughts, Ike seized the handle of Ragnell, lifting the blade and resting it on his shoulder...

And then he knew.

"Well," Sanaki began, "I must admit, your strength is remarka--"

The words died on her lips as Ike pointed his weapon at her, only one hand grasping the holy sword's handle...

"Do not point your sword at the apostle!" Rolen barked, digging the end of his spear into Ike's neck--

Ike merely smacked the lance away before charging towards Sanaki.

"_**Stop him!!**_"

"_IKE!_" Link and Marth bellowed, their heads shooting up as they watched the scene unfold in horror...

Sanaki never flinched; her golden eyes followed Ike as he threw Ragnell in the air, jumping up to meet his spinning blade before plummeting to the ground, the young apostle his target...

"_Apostle!!_"

Undeterred by the smoke and dust kicked up by Ike's devastating Aether, the Begnion soldiers charged, enraged by the assassination--

A ring of energy surrounded the destruction; the soldiers suddenly flew back, their white armor scorched by the magic flame that shot in all directions...

The dust cleared.

Sanaki stood, her Cymbeline tome clutched loosely in her hands; Ragnell's tip rested at her feet, the blade embedded into the shattered marble floor. (7)

Ike's eyes never left the golden steel...

"Apostle," he spoke softly. "Will this be sufficient proof of my identity?"

She gave no answer...

"...Rolen!"

"Y... yes, Apostle!" the captain replied, amazed and relieved that his empress still lived...

"You will take your men and leave me with Ike and his company. If the other two are acquaintances of his, then they all are deemed worthy of my trust."

"A-Apostle!" Rolen sputtered, his brown eyes clearly reflecting his bewilderment. "He just tried to--"

"He just proved that he is who he claims to be," Sanaki interrupted. "Do you dare to suggest that I am wrong, and he who slew the Mad King Ashnard is unworthy of our trust? The goddess has surely deemed him worthy, with the power she has granted him..." (8)

"...n-no, that's not what-- I would never dream of suggesting that-- ...I beg your forgiveness, Apostle. My men and I shall leave."

Quickly, so as to avoid inciting the wrath of the empress, the Begnion soldiers withdrew from the chamber, leaving Sanaki alone with the three swordsmen...

"You all may rise."

Slowly, Marth and Link rose to their feet, stretching their cramped legs as inconspicuously as possible; Ike merely stood, holding his sword at his side as he looked down at the empress...

Sanaki's cool, indifferent gaze melted away as a warm, welcoming smile played at her lips.

"Well met, Ike."

* * *

(End chapter three.

(1) Begnion is a theocracy, with the apostle at the top of the pyramid. The senate is composed of holy men.

(2) The apostle is a direct descendant of the goddess, and as such, can hear her voice.

(3) The goddess is not dead; she is comatose. Her body resides in a holy tower, and no mere commoner may enter. Unfortunately, it's where Ike, Link and Marth arrived.

(4) Sanaki is tricky, and likes to pretend to be ignorant of certain things. She has met Ike before, in "Path of Radiance."

(5) Crimea is a neighboring country, and is Ike's homeland.

(6) Beorc is the Tellius term for human; laguz are another breed altogether, and will appear next chapter.

(7) Cymbeline is a magic tome used in "Radiant Dawn."

(8) Ashnard is the main antagonist in "Path of Radiance."

People... may I just say this.

Faving and alerting a story is NOT an acceptable substitute for reviewing.

Why?

Anybody can click on a story, scroll all the way to the bottom, and click "Add to Alerts/Favorites". That does not prove that you have read the story. A review-- even a simple one-- will be more sufficient proof that you have read the story, and will mean much more to the author, because you are taking the time and effort to let them know what you really think.

I don't mean to sound bitchy... but it's been a problem lately.

Please review.)


	4. The Power of the Medallion

(These author notes are dedicated to YOU, the readers.

Nintendo Nut1, of course I write group scenes better than solo scenes. :D

WoofBlackHayate, yes-- Link would screw it up. I mean, come on-- in Wind Waker, he freed Ganondorf's power. Seriously!

J. Q. Aoi, thank you for boosting my confidence in my Begnion-tension-capturing skills. You're thinking too hard about it-- they arrived in Tower of Guidance so that the whole Sanaki scene could happen. And yes... she is actually descended from Lehran. Thanks for catching that!

Hey, fennessey... here's another reason to get Fire Emblem. You know you want to! :D

And today, we continue "The Tellius Show" with guest stars Link and Marth! (I promise things will change. Promise.)

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Four: The Power of the Medallion

* * *

_These forces, now graced with forms distinguishable from one another, reveled in the light. Their praises intensified the Great Illumination's power; peace reigned in the realm._

_But not for long..._

* * *

"Pit... hey, Pit, wake up."

A tired groan escaped the young angel's lips, but his eyes refused to open.

Fox sighed, shaking his head slowly.

"Man, I always get stuck with people who don't listen to a word I say..."

Carefully, he lifted one of Pit's thin arms, draping it across his shoulders before hoisting Pit off of his chair on the balcony. He had no difficulty carrying the light angel through the open doorway; Fox gently placed the brunette on his bed.

"...hang in there, Pit."

* * *

"I see... I can believe that you wound up in the Tower of Guidance by accident. I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive _me_ for putting you through the interrogation... but I'm surprised. Wits and words aren't usually your forte, Ike."

"I've had time to practice, apostle."

Sanaki smiled as she and Ike sauntered down the halls of the castle, with Link and Marth nervously following close behind.

"I would have avoided it if possible, but Rolen is... highly protective, shall we say. I had to shock him into submission."

"That's quite alright, apo--"

"Sanaki will do."

"Uh... hey, Ike?"

Ike and Sanaki turned at the sound of Link's hesitant voice.

"I hate to be rude," the Hylian began, "but we _did_ come here for a reason..."

"Do you have something to ask of me?" the empress queried, her amber eyes fixed on Ike.

"Yes," the mercenary nodded. "I must speak with Prince Reyson."

Link and Marth shot surprised glances to each other.

_He knows all these royal people... and he still acts like that?!_

"That is unfortunate," Sanaki sighed, flicking her hair out of her face. "The royal heron family is on Phoenicis with King Tibarn."

"Damn..." Ike cursed softly. "...how long would it take to sail to Phoenicis?"

"If Phoenicis had a harbor, it would take about three weeks," the empress informed. "Assuming, of course, that the hawks didn't attack in the middle of the voyage... the hawks in general still harbor hatred towards Begnion."

"Then... it sounds like they only way to get there would be to fly..."

"Yes, that would be the logical conclusion."

All eyes suddenly shifted to a nearby window...

"It's a shame that none of you have wings..."

The figure staring out the window had long, sapphire hair, tied back with a fraying cord. His black clothes contrasted with his waxen skin...

...yet their hue perfectly matched the color of his large, ebony wings. (1, 2)

"I _do_ hope that you find somebody to help you..." he continued, heaving an exaggerated sigh...

"It would be so kind of you if _you_ chose to help us, King Naesala," Sanaki retorted, unfazed by the laguz's unexplained presence.

"_Me?_" Naesala queried, innocently pointing to himself as he turned away from the sunlight; he had to stifle a chuckle as he finally noticed Marth and Link's shocked stares.

"King Kilvas, this is an urgent issue," Ike spoke, his calm expression growing stern. "Please. ...I can pay you, if that will motivate you."

"Well, now! That certainly changes things," the king chuckled, slowly approaching the blue-haired mercenary. "Pray tell... how much were you planning to pay? Beorc mercenaries struggle to make a living, I hear..."

Ike merely flicked a small white gem towards Naesala.

"Ten thousand gold, now in your hands-- assuming you choose to sell it, of course." (3)

Marth snapped out of his daze long enough to search through his pockets...

"...that's _mine!_"

"Well, now it's his."

Naesala examined the gem briefly before tucking it into his pocket.

"This will do," he nodded, trusting Ike's estimate of the jewel's value. Flapping his wings before preparing to take flight, he added, "Any other messages you'd like me to send?"

"Tell the prince to bring Lehran's Medallion."

Shocked royal eyes fell upon the mercenary, whose grim expression showed that no, he was not joking...

"...he will be told."

Naesala spread his sable wings, a dark glow surrounding the laguz king...

Sanaki's gaze did not falter, even as the raven king flew through the window, glass falling away from his shifted form and scattering across the floor. (4)

"Ike?"

"Prince Reyson has the medallion..." Ike began answering the apostle's unspoken question. "...I need it to help save a friend."

Slowly, he turned to face Link and Marth...

"B-b... buh..." Link stammered, shakily pointing to where the king of Kilvas had been standing just moments before.

"He's a _bird,_" Marth finished Link's senseless rambling, his skin unnaturally pale.

"He's the _king_ of a tribe of bird _laguz,_" Ike corrected, secretly enjoying the bewildered expressions on his friends' faces.

"There's _more_ like him?"

"Well, yeah."

Ike would have seriously considered lying if he had known his answer would make Link lose consciousness...

* * *

Pit never realized that leutessence chased away what the humans called nightmares...

Until that night.

He had just finished splashing cold water against his face, trying to chase away the terrifying images that had plagued his once-peaceful dreams...

"No," he muttered to himself. "They're fine... they'll be okay... they can find it..."

Pit looked into the mirror to reassure himself--

A soft gasp escaped his lips.

The pallor of his normally tanned skin would have been best suited for a ghost; his lackluster brown hair hung into his eyes, which were nearly black with the dull glow of lifelessness...

"...no," the angel hissed quietly, struggling not to panic. "This... this is nothing. As long as--"

Quickly, Pit spread his snowy wings; he was satisfied to see that they were still intact...

"They'll come back," he spoke quietly. "I'll be fine."

Still, he couldn't help but worry.

* * *

"King Tibarn, there in the distance-- a lone crow, and it seems to be their king."

Tibarn's "eyes" pointed the hawk king to the northeast; he, too, could faintly make out the blurred image of a laguz raven.

"Ah... yes, I see. Thank you, Janaff." (5)

Janaff grinned, saluting his king as the wind blew his golden bangs into his face.

"Ulki, do you hear any others?"

A third hawk closed his eyes, concentrating...

"...he is alone. I hear no other laguz in the sky."

"I will say now, I will not willingly speak to him."

The three hawk laguz turned at the sound of a fourth voice--

A tall man-- though not as tall as Tibarn-- stood a short distance from the king and his aides. His normally graceful features had hardened in anger, and a dark scowl cast a shadow over his pale face.

"Reyson," Tibarn chuckled briefly. "I would have expected you to be sleeping, considering all of the chaos on this island." (6)

"I am more tolerant of chaos than you give me credit for," the heron prince replied, his white wings rustling with the wind. "Being in Ike's army has helped. But it has not helped me learn to forgive Naesala for what he has done."

"Yeah, but I don't think that's going to stop him," Janaff commented, glancing over his shoulder. "He's gotten very close, considering the short amount of time that's passed..."

"What say you, Reyson," Tibarn began, the powerful gusts blowing his wild hair out of his dark eyes, "to at least hearing what he has to say? If he has no important news, then it will be easy enough to chase him away."

"So long as it is you who responds to him-- unless it is important-- I am fine with that plan, Tibarn," Prince Reyson nodded, pushing his long golden hair out of his eyes.

"Very well. Janaff! Ulki!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Keep watch over Princess Leanne, Prince Rafiel, and King Loraizeh while we are away," the hawk king ordered, his feet leaving the ground before he took on his stronger form.

"We shall-- on our honor as your eyes and ears!"

Tibarn soared off into the distance, followed by the graceful heron form of Reyson.

* * *

Naesala reverted back to his humanoid form as he came within speaking distance of the hawk king.

"How fare you on this fine day, King of Phoenicis?"

"It would be a fine day indeed, were it not spent speaking with traitorous cowards," Tibarn remarked, a flurry of dark feathers falling to the ocean as he too transformed. "What do you want, king of crows?"

"I have a message for the heron prince," the raven king informed, his dark blue hair flung about by the wind.

"That is unfortunate, for Reyson has chosen not to treat you on small matters."

"Ah, but this _is_ no small matter, I can assure you of that. Would he change his mind if he knew my message came from Ike?"

White feathers rained down as Reyson finally shifted forms.

"Ike has returned?" the prince asked, his emerald eyes showing his disbelief.

"He has, and is currently in Begnion," Naesala nodded. "There is some important business he must take care of, and he requests your assistance... and Lehran's Medallion."

The same shock that had silenced the raven king now struck the hawk and heron royalty.

"...what did you say this business of his was?" Tibarn finally queried, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"I did not say, for I do not know. He didn't even mention anything to the apostle."

"And how do we know that you're not spinning yet another tall tale?"

"You don't. All you can do is trus--"

"Ha!" the hawk king scoffed. "Yes, trust you! Trust a crow, one who has sold a childhood friend-- _royalty,_ on top of it all-- into slavery for some pocket change!" (7)

"Nobody ever said that you couldn't come with as his bodyguard," Naesala pointed out, sensing the embers of chaos stirring from within Tibarn's spirit and quickly thinking in the interests of self-preservation. "Were we to fly in the dark, you could see your path-- and any traps. If you don't believe me, then come-- come to make sure Prince Reyson is safe."

"...I can accept that arrangement."

Tibarn and Naesala both looked to Reyson, both slightly surprised by the words he had just spoken.

"You would travel with him?" the hawk king spoke.

"If you were to come with, yes."

A brief silence, only broken by the blustering wind...

"Well then, why are we waiting here?" Tibarn smirked. "Come! We must leave quickly, if we are to reach Begnion by nightfall!"

And with that, the royal laguz of the birds transformed, their wings carrying them to the land of the goddess.

* * *

(End chapter four.

(1) The laguz are the race of creatures that can transform into animals and fight. There are three main tribes; beast, bird, and dragon.

(2) Laguz have defining marks. Bird laguz, obviously, have wings.

(3) I don't think they have white gems in Ike's games, but in the other Fire Emblem games, a white gem could be sold for ten thousand gold.

(4) Laguz travel faster in their animal form. It is also the only form they really fight in.

(5) Tibarn has two aides, Janaff and Ulki. Janaff has ridiculously perfect vision; Ulki can "hear grass growing on the other side of the continent."

(6) Heron laguz are highly sensitive to the forces of balance and chaos. Herons tend to get really sick in high-chaos environments.

(7) True story! Play "Path of Radiance" to find out more.

I don't know what the heron king's name is, but I know its' either that or something very similar. Damn laguz with their strange names. XD

Just think; just two more full chapters of "The Tellius Show" before it starts getting _really_ good!

Please review!)


	5. Distractions

(I am having way too much fun with this story. Would you believe me if I said that, as of now, I was writing chapter eight?

J. Q. Aoi and Dochii, you are absolutely right. Link _does_ transform into a wolf. However, the difference between him and the laguz is that Link was the only one chosen by the goddesses to be able to transform. Therefore, the last thing he expected was for there to be a whole tribe of... people? creatures? What would you call them? They have no word for laguz in Hylian. Regardless, he wasn't expecting them to actually exist.

J. Q. Aoi, thank you for telling me what Lorazieh's name was... but no, there wont' be a Greil's Mercenaries scene. I'm sorry, but there's no way to work it in without totally shifting the plot. However, Ike _will_ go all buddy-buddy with Reyson eventually. Woo!

Okay, this is a lot of notes. Let's begin.

Characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Five: Distractions

* * *

_The Great Illumination grew weary of the quarreling that arose between certain powerful forces. Eventually, it split these powers apart, forbidding contact until they were willing to make peace._

_The dawn of the worlds came from this separation..._

* * *

Midnight found Ike practicing on the balcony, swinging Ragnell around with little effort. His dark blue hair, blown out of his eyes by the cautious wind, bounced lightly with each mighty stroke and sudden guard...

"You know, Ike, I'm tempted to start calling _you_ the thoughtless fool."

He spun around to see Marth standing in the doorway, his sapphire eyes still glimmering with the faint shadow of a laugh.

"What? Because of what I did earlier, in the grand hall?" Ike frowned, resting his sword against the stone wall. "I knew exactly what I was doing."

"Before or after you did it?"

"Shut up."

The Altean prince chuckled, stepping out into the cool night air.

"This is an interesting world you live in," he commented, glancing around. "There are no... you call them laguz? There are no such creatures in Altea."

"Laguz and beorc were both made in the image of Ashera, our goddess," the mercenary explained, stretching his arms over his head. "But because she did not create us as gods, we fought with one another, saying that our own race was superior to the other's... the hatred exists even today. Really, though... I don't see the point behind it all-- the point to the fighting. We wouldn't survive without each other's help, no matter how much we all might not want to admit it."

"...people here don't usually think like you at all, I bet."

"Yeah... I guess this is just another example of how I don't fit in, huh?"

Both Ike and Marth laughed, the sound echoing into the empty night sky...

A faint caw caught the mercenary's attention.

"Hm...?"

Marth noticed the subtle change in Ike's expression.

"Ike?"

He did not reply; instead, Ike shifted his gaze to the star-studded sky...

The shrill shriek of a distant hawk confirmed his suspicions.

"Marth, get the torch from inside."

The prince stood there, blinking confusedly...

"..._now!_"

Instantly, the Altean prince flew inside, returning with the brightly burning torch that had been mounted to the wall--

Ike snatched it from the prince, waving the flame back and forth.

"What are you _doing?_"

"Bird laguz have a hard time seeing in the dark," Ike replied, as though it were common knowledge. "I'm surprised they even tried flying at night..." (1)

Marth merely shook his head in exasperation as Ike continued brandishing the flame--

He froze...

His faded blue eyes widened at the faint outlines of three figures appeared in the night sky.

* * *

"Naesala, if you're leading us to certain doom..."

"Relax, Reyson, I'm not."

"Well then," Tibarn interrupted. "Where are we?"

The raven king squinted, trying to make out shapes from the dim light of the moon.

"...we're... close to Sienne. I think that's the Tower of Guidance..."

"We should have waited till sunrise," Reyson frowned. "I can't see a blasted thing..."

"...well now. Can you see _that?_"

The bright light of a small fire suddenly appeared far below, standing out against the inky black of night.

"...it's coming from the castle..."

"_Heeeeey! Down heeeeere!_"

As the faint cry reached the ears of the hawk king, Tibarn let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, Naesala, it looks like you _are_ capable of honesty."

"I'm pleased to have destroyed your previous beliefs, King Phoenicis."

With that, the royal laguz flew onward, quickly approaching the castle...

* * *

Dawn greeted Pit with great care, almost reluctant to disturb the angel, who had chosen to sleep outside. The pale light gently danced over his dark hair, carefully stroked his pale skin...

With a soft groan, he opened his eyes, wincing slightly as the light temporarily blinded him. The young angel curled up, resting on his side, letting the sun's rays warm his cool body as he slowly began to fully wake up...

Curiosity got the best of Pit; he found himself wondering if it was morning wherever his friends were.

* * *

"You had said that you needed me to bring Lehran's Medallion... why, if I may ask?"

After reviving an unconscious Marth(who was in that state due to circumstances beyond his control; Naesala had hardly made a soft landing), waking up a sleeping Link, and giving hasty introductions, Ike could finally attend to the business that had brought him back to Tellius in the first place...

"The three of us," he began, pointing to himself and his two comrades as he reclined in his chair, "and another beorc were sparring a day or two ago. All of a sudden, this... dark force appeared, and stole our friend's light energy. We're trying to get it back."

"...you mean life energy," Tibarn proposed, sitting on the windowsill, uneasy in an enclosed room.

"No, I mean light energy," Ike shook his head.

"Pit is from a different world," Link cut in. "Where he comes from, he is a holy being..."

"...and as a general rule of thumb, holy beings have light energy," Reyson nodded. "That makes sense. But I fail to see why you ne--"

"Look at this, then."

The heron prince fumbled to catch the medallion the blue-haired mercenary suddenly tossed to him.

"Whatever it was that attacked our friend left that behind."

"...what is it?" Naesala finally asked, feigning disinterest as he lurked in the shadows.

"...leave us," Reyson ordered. "I will need Ike's help, but... anything else would be a distraction."

Tibarn nodded, glad to have an excuse to go back outside and stretch his wings; Naesala followed after him, flying off away from the hawk king to find a place to rest for the night. Before Link could pester Ike and Reyson with incessant questions, Marth slapped his hand over his friend's mouth; the Hylian was forcefully dragged out of the room by the Altean prince, who shut the door behind him as he left.

"Ike, you have to tell me exactly what happened," the heron prince began, his troubled green eyes flashing as he sat down across the table from Ike.

"We were all sparring, and... this cloud of darkness appeared," Ike sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "First it... how to put it? ...it _swallowed_ Marth and Link. It moved away from me and my friend when there was light, but... when the light vanished... I don't remember anything until after I woke up."

A minute passed before the mercenary realized that his royal friend had said nothing.

"Reyson?"

"...o-oh, sorry," the laguz prince responded, shaking his head slightly to clear his mind.

"Is something wrong?"

"No... no, I was just thinking..."

"Reyson, you are good at many things, but lying is not one of them."

A soft chuckle escaped the blonde laguz's lips.

"Ah... yeah... I don't think my thoughts are relevant to this issue. And even if they were... they wouldn't help us help your friend."

With a quick motion, Reyson yanked a chain off from around his pale neck...

The blue flame that normally surrounded Lehran's Medallion diminished as the heron prince laid it next to the mysterious emblem. (2)

"Let's figure this thing out."

* * *

Pit was slowly chewing on his toast when a slight tug on his arm caught his attention. He slowly turned his head--

Lucas stared up at the angel with dark, nervous eyes.

"Pit? You look sick... are you gonna be okay?" he asked, his voice timid and fearful.

Pit smiled briefly, dropping his food back onto his plate before ruffling the young psychic's hair comfortingly.

"I'll be fine," he reassured, ignoring the waxen hue of his skin. "I'm a little sick, but Ike, Link and Marth are finding a way to make me better. Okay?"

"Y-yeah..."

The angel bit his lip, not wholly convinced by the querulous tone of Lucas' voice.

"...after I'm done eating breakfast, wanna go play outside?"

Lucas' face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Just let me finish eating first."

"Okay! I-I'll go see if any of the other kids wanna play, too!"

Pit chuckled softly, picking up his toast again as he watched Lucas dash off...

_...but what if they can't find it?_

His soft smile faltered...

_...no. They'll find it. They... they have to... they promised..._

The rest of his breakfast never made it to his stomach.

* * *

(End chapter five.

(1) Nintendo was smart! They knew that beasts have excellent night vision(in general), and birds have poor night vision. Thy gave the laguz these qualities too.

(2) Lehran's Medallion glows for a reason. Why? Play "Path of Radiance"!

A shorter chapter, but were it any longer, it'd just drag on. And chapters that drag on just get tedious to read... and to write.

Please review!)


	6. Into Darkness

(YES. I am finally FREE of my English paper. Damn thing seriously took three trips to three libraries and four interrupted hours of writing.

Brawl wins. Period. :D

Before I start off, fennessey-- relax. Pit's not dead.

Yet.

If he's going to die, he's not dead yet.

This reminds me of a Spamalot song.

Link Guru, I am not trying to portray Link as an idiot. I am trying to portray him as being somewhat... impulsive and childish. Maybe not so much childish, but definitely impulsive.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Six: Into Darkness

* * *

_Peace eventually prospered between the forces; the creation of their own worlds had allowed them to spend their angry energy._

_It did not take long, however, for The Great Illumination to realize that something was horribly amiss..._

* * *

"Ugh..."

Link sighed, boredly pulling out feathers from the mattress he lay on, no longer excruciatingly tired after his nap... just almost incurably frustrated.

"Could they take any longer?" he muttered, half-closing his eyes.

"Relax, Link," Marth scolded, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. "You should use this as an exercise in patience."

"It's taken them over _six_ _hours!_ It's almost dawn in this world! It didn't even take me this long to get through the Lakebed Temple!"

The Altean prince sighed, slowly collapsing to the floor.

"...I guess they are taking a while. But still... getting angry does not make them work any faster."

"I bet they're sleeping..."

The words that escaped Link's lips were quickly followed by an unexpected yawn.

Marth rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Alright, then... what if we... ...hm."

The six hours Reyson and Ike had spent were not _completely_ wasted; the medallions fit together perfectly, and so long as they were together, a dark aura surrounded the whole emblem. However, the halves would not stay together on their own; trying to find a way to keep them connected had begun to annoy the heron prince and beorc mercenary.

"If we could just... glue them together, then maybe..." Reyson muttered before heaving an exasperated sigh, holding the medals together in one of his slender hands. "...I wonder how they broke apart, anyways."

"Magic, probably," Ike replied tiredly, attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "They fit together too perfectly to have been shattered by brute force..."

"Mm... yeah, you're probably right..."

The blonde-haired laguz suddenly noticed dark bags under Ike's dull eyes.

"You're tired, aren't you?" Reyson asked. "When did you last sleep?"

"Wha--? Where did _that_ come from? I'm fi--"

"I can _see_ the bags under your eyes, Ike, so don't you try lying to me," the prince interrupted, his own emerald orbs flashing. "So, when did you last sleep?"

The mercenary couldn't help but chuckle softly as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's been... I don't know, exactly. It's been at least one and a half days since I had _any_ sleep," he admitted, a yawn easily escaping his lips. "Maybe if I could get... just a few minutes of rest, I'll be fine..."

Reyson smiled.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten who I am, Ike."

"Huh?"

Graceful words in an ancient tongue began to fall from the laguz prince's lips; the fatigue melted away from Ike's body and mind, and energy filled his limbs... (1)

The galdr ended, and Reyson looked expectantly at Ike.

"...thank you, Reyson," the mercenary laughed lightly. "The lack of sleep must've melted my--"

A golden glow suddenly caught Ike's attention.

"Re-Reyson, open your hand!"

"Huh?"

"Just-- _look!_ Your hand is--"

Confused, the heron prince glanced at his hand--

"_Ah!!_"

Quickly, Reyson dropped the medallions, the yellow aura surrounding them startling him--

The emblems only split apart upon impact with the solid wooden table.

"...they stuck together," the laguz frowned. "But it wasn't permanent..."

"...that's _it!!_"

Ike's elated cry nearly made Reyson fall out of his chair.

"Reyson, there's a galdr that could fuse the medallions!" Ike exclaimed, his navy eyes sparkling eagerly. "That wasn't the right one, but it was close, it had to be close! Are there any galdr with similar tunes?"

"...Ike, please... calm down," was Reyson's faltered, tired reply as he steadied himself once again. "Galdr doesn't work on the singer."

"...oh, uh... sorry, Reyson."

"That's quite alright... and, as for your question... all galdrar have very distinct melodies, so..."

The hopeful shine in Ike's eyes flickered.

"...oh..."

There was silence as Ike and Reyson pondered about what to do next...

"...the galdr of rebirth."

Reyson's head shot up.

"What did you just say...?"

"What if you sang the galdr of rebirth?" Ike repeated. "It's got a similar _effect_ to the galdr of vigor-- but instead of restoring energy to a person..."

"...it restores things to their original form," Reyson finished, his bright green eyes gleaming. "By the goddess, Ike, you really _are_ a genius!"

"I am not; I just hang around too many smart people," the mercenary chuckled. "Hurry, try it-- we need to see what happens-- I need to know if it works!"

Quickly, the heron prince snatched the emblems up, pressing them together as a low song escaped his lips...

* * *

"...this is it, isn't it?"

"Yep."

The first faint flickers of a radiant dawn could not dispel the portal of darkness-- a portal that had, up until a few minutes ago, been two halves of a whole medallion, before Reyson's galdr fused the pieces together.

"C'mon," Link grinned. "The sooner we go and kick some serious ass, the sooner we can get Pit's light back and go home."

With confidence burning in his clear blue eyes, the Hylian stepped into the swirling shadow... and was quickly swallowed up by the darkness.

"See you on the other side, Ike... I hope," Marth muttered softly before following his blonde friend through the portal.

"...Ike, before you go-- a word, please."

Ike turned his head, looking questioningly at Reyson, whose expression had become inexplicably serious...

"I wanted to know..." he began, his large white wings fluttering. "...have you heard the tale of the Enlightening? It is also called The Great Illumination..."

"I've heard something about it... once," Ike nodded briefly. "There was darkness, and then The Great Illumination killed the darkness, and that's how--"

"Killed it?"

Reyson slowly shook his head.

"Ike... I don't know where you heard that version... but the tale told to the herons is that The Great Illumination could not kill the darkness. Darkness has no heart. All The Great Illumination could do was banish it to another dimension..."

"...I see. ...thank you, Reyson. I will be careful."

With those final words, Ike stepped into the darkness, disappearing into the shadows...

Before the heron prince's eyes, the portal shrunk, fading away into nothing...

All that remained was the medallion, which evanesced in the light of the sun.

* * *

(End chapter six.

(1) Herons in Ike's game don't fight; they sing. Their songs are called galdrar. An individual song is called a galdr; their effects vary.

And so ends "The Tellius Show"! We thank you for not throwing tomatoes at us, and hope you look forward to chapter seven!

Please review!)


	7. Despair

(Wow, we're on chapter seven already? Miracles DO occur!

Just as a... whatchamacallit. A forewarning: Pit goes a bit emo this chapter. But it's not his fault, really! Blame the darkness!

Or me. Either way, leave the poor guy alone! :D

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

Realm of Shadows © Me

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Seven: Despair

* * *

_Try as they might, the forces-- now gods and goddesses of their realms-- could not control the evils that their people committed. They pleaded with The Great Illumination, begging to know the source of the strife..._

_The answer was disturbingly clear in The Great Illumination's eyes._

* * *

It certainly wasn't what they were expecting.

Darkness oozed from the ground itself, rising up in faint wisps of smoke; a dark amber glow illuminated the skyline, the dim light being smothered by a cloud of black shadow...

"...this is really... disconcerting," Link muttered nervously, glancing around to survey his surroundings.

"...where do we go from here?" Marth asked, unnerved by the surrounding darkness...

"Good que-- _ah!_"

Ike suddenly jerked forward, dragged along by whatever magic had possessed Ragnell; the holy blade shimmered with a pure, golden light, chasing away the shadows as the sword pointed north...

"Ike, what the hell is--"

"The sword-- it's-- ...it's holding itself up," the mercenary slowly responded, struggling to bring Ragnell back to his side. "I don't know why--"

The glow unexpectedly dimmed slightly; Ragnell shuddered, then collapsed to the ground, nearly dragging Ike with it.

"_Gah!_"

"...it's telling us where to go," Link suddenly realized as the blue-haired mercenary cautiously lifted his weapon, resting the blade on his shoulder.

"Is that what you think?" Marth queried, fingering the hilt of his own sword.

"I know this. There's no other way to explain it... it's a holy weapon, under divine guidance."

"So, what do we do?"

"What else?"

Link and Marth both turned to face Ike, whose navy eyes burned with determination.

"We follow the path that we are shown."

He lead the way, the Altean prince and Hylian hero following in his footsteps.

* * *

"...eighteen... nineteen... twenty! Ready or not, here I come!"

Pit whipped away from the wall of the mansion, his sapphire eyes searching the landscape...

An impish grin graced his pale face as he spotted a bright flash of color amongst the dark trees. Quietly, he dashed over...

"_Gotcha!_ Nice try, Ness."

"Aw, man! I'm _always_ the first one tagged..."

The angel chuckled at the psychic's protests.

"C'mon, help me find the others. They're no match for the two of us!"

"Yeah!" Ness cheered, quickly hurrying off to find his friends...

An unexplained chill slithered up Pit's spine.

_No,_ he mentally scolded himself. _Stop it._

He ran off to search for the other hiding children... and to escape the fear that had begun to tear at his heart.

* * *

_The unseeing eye watched them, their light-suffused weapons guiding them through the forest of ebony trees..._

_"Let them come," the presence chuckled darkly. "Let them try to defeat me... assuming they can even avoid defeating themselves..."_

* * *

"How big _is_ this forest?"

Marth's innocent question elicited no response from Link or Ike, who continued onward under the guidance of Ragnell's holy light.

Black trees, barren and twisted by inhuman forces, reached out to the swordsmen, their sharp branches clawing at their skin and snagging their clothes. Everywhere they looked, the sight was the same; lifeless flora and the fading amber light, darkness biting at their bodies and swallowing up their feet...

"...guys?"

"Marth, if we _knew_ how big this forest was, we would not be wasting our time walking through it; we would be wasting our time searching for a shortcut," Link retorted, his voice terse. "As that is not the case, we are instead following Ike's sword. Which makes me wonder... Ike, why is _your_ sword telling us where to go? ...actually, scratch that; why is your _sword_ telling us?"

"That's a great question, but I bet I have a better one," Ike growled. "Are you two going to keep bitching about this damn forest, or are you going to shut the hell up and walk?"

"...sorry."

"Sorry, Ike..."

For a time, they progressed in silence; only the sound of jagged, fallen twigs being crushed under the steps of the swordsmen dared to disturb the uneasy calm.

"...how long have we been walking for, anyways?" Link mumbled, his cerulean eyes glancing downward.

"My guess? About three hours. Can't tell without a watch or the sun..."

"That's _all?!_"

"Well, maybe if you stopped whining like a brat, it wouldn't seem so long," Marth snapped. "So how about you just shut up and keep walking!"

Ike groaned, sticking Ragnell's blade into the ground before turning to watch the scene unfold.

"_Me,_ quit whining?" Link hissed, clenching his fists. "Sure! After _you_ stop complaining about how _big_ this forest is! 'How long does this go on, how long does this go on'-- it doesn't get any damn shorter when you say that!"

"Shut up, elf-ears!"

"Princess Martha!"

"Fairy-face!"

"Tiara-top!"

Their voices rose to deafening levels, tension building, threatening to boil over into violence--

"...w-wait-- where's Ike?"

The insults halted as Link and Marth suddenly looked around, noticing for the first time that the mercenary-- and Ragnell-- were nowhere to be seen...

"...did _you_ hear him leave?"

"...no..."

Fear instantly replaced the anger; Link and Marth huddled close together, searching for any sign of Ike...

"...hey, Marth?"

"Y-yeah?"

"...if we die here... you know I didn't really mean any of that, right?"

"D-don't be silly!" the prince scolded lightly. "We're not going to die here! ...but... just in case... y-yeah. I know. And... you know too, right? That I didn't mean what I said?"

"O-of course I know."

"Alright."

For a few minutes, they sat in fearful silence, waiting... waiting...

"...okay. This is _ridiculous._"

Marth stepped away from Link, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

"We're _fighters._ We can fend for ourselves! So, why are we standing here like frightened children?"

"...yeah, you're right!" the Hylian nodded, confidence returning to his blue eyes. "C'mon, let's go an--"

The crackling sound of breaking wood cut him off...

"Wh... what was tha--"

"So, you two patch things up yet?"

Link and Marth sighed with relief as Ike reappeared, stepping out from amongst the trees, Ragnell resting over his shoulder.

"Yeah," the Altean prince nodded, rubbing his eyes slowly. "...where'd you go?"

"I went to see if there was tree that would support my weight when I climbed it," the mercenary shrugged. "I thought maybe I'd try to see if we were close to the other side... but everything's so dark anyways, it would have been pointless... no sense in worrying about it now, though. Let's keep going."

"...sorry for starting a bitch-fight and slowing us all down," Link and Marth simultaneously apologized as the three swordsmen continued their march.

"Don't lose sleep over it," Ike replied offhandedly. "It was going to happen eventually; better now than later, I guess."

"...how could you be so certain?" Marth asked.

"Can't you feel it? A force... like something is trying to antagonize us, trying to turn us against each other... probably whatever it is that reigns here. ...let's keep moving, before we lose patience again. We can't really afford to be sidetracked again."

Silence fell upon the group once again.

* * *

Pit couldn't eat.

A tired sigh escaped his lips as he slowly stirred his salad with his fork, a forlorn expression in his sapphire eyes...

"Pit, cheer up. You know they'll come back soon."

The angel glanced up to look at Zelda, who sat calmly next to him-- the only one who had chosen to join him outside for lunch this day.

"That's what I've been saying since they left... it's what I've been told since they left," he muttered, choosing to stare at the untouched food on his plate. "But... all the time, I have these... these dreams, these visions... that they're in danger... that Ike's dying, Link's missing, and Marth is suffering at the hands of the darkness... and--"

A soft gasp escaped Pit's lips as the Hylian princess pulled him close, holding him in a loose hug.

"Hush... don't worry," she murmured, gently stroking the young angel's dark locks of hair.

"...it's just... s-so hard, staying positive with all this... this sadness," he responded, his voice catching in his throat as tears slowly welled in his eyes. "And... I-I just... I want these images t-to go away, b-but they... they don't... they only g-get worse, always w-worse..."

"Shh..." Zelda hushed, comforting Pit as the tears fell down his pale cheeks. "I know... I know what it's like, to have visions like that... but you can't let yourself fall to despair."

"...but... wh-what if they c-can't do it?" the angel hiccuped, unable to stop his crying. "Wh-what if--"

"Pit... be silent, and listen to me."

He slowly looked up, staring at the princess with glimmering sapphire eyes.

"They will return," she began. "They will be successful. Ike cares about you too much to let anything happen, Link is far too stubborn to admit defeat, and Marth is too quick to not help find a way out of whatever situation they may find themselves in. You know this is true, yes?"

"...y-yeah..."

Zelda continued to stroke Pit's limp hair as he pondered over the young woman's words.

"...th... thank you, Zelda..."

The princess smiled briefly.

"You're welcome, Pit... why don't you go and try to get some rest? If you need anything, I'll be waiting here."

"A-alright..."

The young angel slowly pulled away from Zelda, rubbing the tears out of his eyes as he trudged off to his room...

A single white feather fell from his wings.

* * *

"...we're close. I can feel it. The trees are thinning... we'll reach the other side in about two hours, if we hurry."

"But we've been walking for so long... can't we just rest for a little while? At least until we get some of our energy back..."

"Let's stop, Ike. We won't be able to do much if we're exhausted."

"Alright."

With an exaggerated sigh, Link collapsed onto the ground, closing his eyes as the black fog on the ground danced over his limbs, casting a pall over his normally flushed skin. Marth shook his head in hopelessness as he slowly sat down cross-legged on the shadowy floor; Ike stuck Ragnell into the ground before falling, leaning against the holy blade for support.

"That can't be good for your sword," Link frowned.

"If Ashera wanted someone to take care of her sword, she should not have left it in a mercenary's hands. As it is, she will just have to grin and bear it."

A soft chuckle from all three men filled them with a slight sense of hope...

"Hey, Ike?" Marth began.

"Yeah?"

"Why does your sword glow so brightly, anyways?"

"Yeah," Link suddenly agreed. "I mean, even the Master Sword doesn't shine that brightly. Look--"

With a quick flourish, the Hylian brandished his sacred weapon; its white gleam looked small and feeble in comparison to the golden aura that emanated from Ragnell.

"Hm... well, Pit said that Ragnell was pointed at him when his light was stolen, and that it started glowing black," Ike shrugged. "Maybe it senses the darkness? You know... one of those magical things that none of us know anything about, where a bond is formed between the evil and its stolen weapon?"

"...or... something like that," Marth grinned.

"You've got some crazy ideas in your head, Ike," Link snickered, resting the Master Sword at his side for a light source.

"You're one to talk, Sir Locks-Himself-in-the-Stages-at-Night."

"That was _one time!_"

Laughter rang throughout the black void...

"...I wonder how we defeat the darkness, anyways," Marth wondered, the smile slowly fading from his lips.

"We go and resort to needlessly excessive violence, of course," Link grinned. "It's a policy that's only failed me... three times."

"Well, it'll fail you a fourth," Ike sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Reyson told me a more accurate version of the story Master Hand told us... and he said that the darkness can't be killed because it has no heart..."

"...that would have been nice to know _before_ we came here and got this far..."

"Oh, shut up," the mercenary scolded lightly. "He didn't even tell me until after you two were gone already. But.. there had to be a loophole somewhere... a way to get around that... now, I think I know what it is."

"Well, let's hear it!"

For a short while, there was an expectant silence...

"...when we encounter the darkness, I'll... I'll let it take over my body," Ike began. "Then, one of y-"

"_No._"

Link immediately sat upright, the light of the Master Sword revealing the stubborn refusal burning in his cerulean eyes.

"I will _not_ be responsible for your death," he hissed vehemently.

"Neither will I," Marth agreed. "Ike, what are you _thinking?_"

"If the darkness takes over either of you... it would just destroy you, since you both have strong affinities with light," Ike explained calmly, unshaken by his friends' refusal. "However, I have a natural affinity for the darkness... at the very least, I would survive long enough for you to destroy the heart of the darkness."

"...Ike, may I be the first of us to say that you have some seriously fucked-up logic..."

"Well, I don't hear _you_ coming up with anything better."

Silence...

"...fine," Link grumbled, still clearly displeased with the idea. "I'll... I'll do it. But if something goes wrong... I'm never going to forgive you for it."

"Fine. ...thank you, Link."

"Mm."

"...we should rest while we can," Marth spoke softly, his voice filled with frustration and fear.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. G'night, you guys."

"G'night, Link."

The Hylian closed his eyes, quickly dropping off to sleep despite the complex emotions plaguing his mind.

"...gods damn you, Ike, you really are a thoughtless fool."

Ike couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

"Get some rest, Marth."

The Altean prince sighed, reluctantly taking the mercenary's advice...

Ike stayed awake, the slight apprehension he felt quietly burning in his heart.

* * *

(End chapter seven.

I think this is the longest chapter yet. At any rate, it certainly is the one filled with the most emotions.

Ike's nickname is based off of Nintendo Nut1's "Super Smash League" ...two? Is it the second one? I think so. She's written like, four of those, so...

Please review!)


	8. The Fall

(Hey, fun fact, everyone-- for my birthday last week, my parents took me to see Les Miserables. Damn, it was really good, too!

This chapter is short. Actually, so far, it's the shortest chapter. There's a couple short chapters coming up, just so you know-- but I promise you lots and lots of trauma.

Er... drama.

Yes.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Eight: The Fall

* * *

_The Great Illumination traveled to the worlds of its children, seeing only strife and chaos wherever it went... _

_Then it knew for sure._

* * *

"Ike. Ike, wake up."

A low groan escaped the mercenary's lips, but he refused to open his eyes.

"Ike..."

"Here, let me."

Taking only a split second to aim, Link jammed his foot into Ike's ribs.

"_Ow!_ Okay, okay, I'm _up!_ By the _goddess..._"

Link chuckled quietly as Ike sat up, muttering crossly as he held a hand to his side, massaging his ribs.

"What time is it...?"

"Dunno," Marth shrugged, his fair skin taking on a golden hue in the light of Ragnell's shimmering blade. "Can't really tell without a sun..."

"It doesn't really matter. We should get going," Link announced, tapping his toes against the shadowy ground. "The sooner we get Pit's light back, the sooner we can get the hell out of here."

"Then let's go," Ike responded, rising to his feet.

The swordsmen began walking once again...

"...hey, how are we going to get out, anyways?"

Ike thought briefly on Marth's sudden question.

"...a way will reveal itself."

From there, they traveled in silence.

* * *

The moon really was quite... he had a hard time choosing the right word. Pit felt that beautiful wouldn't quite describe it; there was something about the way it could light up the earth while still leaving everything in darkness that intrigued him...

Pit had fallen asleep in the early afternoon, and only just woke up; the silver light of the moon gently brushed away the final traces of drowsiness from his dull sapphire eyes as it fell upon his pale face, giving the young angel an unearthly sheen.

He felt a cool breeze gently blowing in from the window, stirring his limp locks of hair; it was strangely soothing, considering the chill that had taken over him just a few moments ago. Slowly, the young angel closed his eyes, idly twirling his hand in the blankets on his bed...

A quiet sigh escaped his lips.

* * *

All traces of the feeble amber light of that world were long gone as Ike, Link and Marth walked further into the darkness. Only the glow of the holy swords illuminated their path; the golden light shone over the swordsmen, giving a gentle shimmer to their eyes...

But soon, even the sacred shine could not overpower the shadows that surrounded them; darkness descended, a blanket of eternal black...

"...Marth? Link?!" Ike called when he realized that he could neither hear his friends behind him nor see Ragnell in front of him. "You guys still there?!"

"Yeah! Just-- stop walking, we'll run into you!" Link shouted back, his voice sounding so distant...

The mercenary stood still, waiting...

"...wh-- _whaaaaa!_"

Ike's head spun at the sudden sound of Marth's panicked cry...

"Marth?!"

"_Gaaaaah!_"

"_Link!_"

Darkness suddenly coiled around Ike's body, crushing him in its tight grasp; a pained gasp escaped his lips as he suddenly flew upward--

"_Let me go!_"

The mercenary came to an abrupt halt; the force made him drop his weapon, and icy gusts blew over his body, but Ike refused to be distracted-- this was his chance...

"This is _cheap!_" he bellowed. "At least give us a _chance_ to defend ourselves!"

Ike could feel the darkness laughing around him.

_And why should I let you?_ it hissed, tightening its hold on the mercenary. _I'd have to kill you all... that would do me no good. It is better to just take you..._

"If your goal's to use us as your pawns, then you're wasting your time with the other two," Ike snapped, sensing an opportunity. "They'd die instantly-- they're too attached to the light... they wouldn't be able to tolerate your force."

_And neither would you, then; you dwell in the light as well... I suppose you leave me no choice but to--_

"You think wrong."

_Oh?_

The mercenary's navy eyes burned with determination.

"Let them go," he began, "and use me as your pawn. I will not perish so easily..."

Silence...

_This is a laughable trap you're trying to set up._

Ike froze.

"Wh-wha--"

_I applaud you for trying..._

A shocked cry escaped Ike's lips as he was suddenly thrown to the ground; pain coursed through his body upon his harsh landing...

_But I do think I will grant your silly request and accept your foolish offer._

Ice suddenly flooded through the mercenary's veins, his hands flew to his chest as his scream of agony echoed through the void--

* * *

"Link! Link!! Gods damn you, Link, _get up!_"

Link groaned, shaking his head slowly as he opened his cerulean eyes...

"_Finally!_ Link, listen-- do you hear it?"

"Ngh... hear what, Ma--"

The Hylian's words died on his lips as the faint sound Marth mentioned rang in his ears...

"That... that's Ike! Quick, we need to--"

His thought was interrupted by a blast of fiery magic slamming into his back.

Link cried out in shock as he was suddenly thrown forward; Marth spun around, searching for the attacker--

He didn't have to look far.

Ike stood before the Altean prince and Hylian hero, Ragnell's blade extended...

His normally navy eyes burned crimson.

* * *

(End chapter eight.

Well, shit! Things don't look good for our heroes now!

Man, things are getting so good now...

Please review!)


	9. Gone

(I do have one question before I put in the regular, nonsensical author notes.

Where did everyone go? I know people are reading this. Please stop disappearing.

End public service announcement; we now return to our normal psychotic hijinx.

This chapter is short too-- short and emo. More short than emo, though.

Also, I just call the character Ike because it's easier that way. Just so that nobody gets too confused while reading this.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo

The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Nine: Gone

* * *

_Darkness seemed to roll off of the trees, falling onto the people below; everywhere there was strife, shadows surrounded everything..._

_It was returning._

* * *

Silence hung heavily in the air, oppressive and deafening...

"...Ike...?"

It was Marth's fearful whisper that shattered this silence; Link scrambled back to his feet, picking up his fallen Master Sword...

"Was that his name?"

The voice that responded came from Ike's lips, and retained much of his tone; but the dark echo that followed his words and the low chuckle that accompanied them betrayed the speaker as a whole new identity...

"Who are you?" Link snapped, pointing his sword to "Ike." "What have you done with Ike?"

"Me? I have done nothing," Ike grinned, his skin shedding its vibrant tone in favor of a more anemic pallor. "Your little friend _chose_ to accept me..."

"Bullshit," the Hylian snapped. "He wouldn't have screamed if he had been willingly acce--"

Ike's dark laugh effectively silenced Link, sending shivers down Link and Marth's spines...

"Even the strongest must scream when they die..."

Link froze--

"But of course, _you _wouldn't know a thing about _that_... would you, _Hero?_"

"You... you killed him," Marth gasped, his sapphire eyes widening in disbelief.

"No," Link hissed, denying his words--

The wicked grin on the mercenary's face grew wider.

"Oh, yes..."

"You..."

"_YOU!_"

The Hylian suddenly charged forward, blindly slashing at the evil that had stolen his friend's life...

With amazing speed, Ike struck Link with Ragnell, whose blade gleamed with a blinding light; the Hylian was sent flying once again, stopping only because he ended up crashing into Marth.

"Fool," the mercenary scoffed, contempt burning in his scarlet eyes. "Did you really think there was a chance of you even harming me, when not even your gods could stop me?"

The only response he received was a low groan of pain as the Hylian and Altean slowly rose to their feet, blades drawn and eyes narrowed.

"Mm. I suppose you did."

With a faint sigh, Ike readied Ragnell once again, preparing himself as Link and Marth charged forward...

* * *

Fear settled in Pit's heart, never giving even the slightest hint of leaving.

The young angel pressed his forehead against the glass door to the balcony, the transparent material drawing heat away from his already cool body; his mournful navy eyes followed the moon as it began dipping below the skyline...

Pit's gaze shifted to his own shadow--

A soft cry escaped his lips, and he slowly fell to his knees.

Now words could explain how he knew...

He just did.

"He's gone..."

* * *

Blood spilled from their wounds, stained their clothes, pooled on the cold dark ground below...

Ike smirked, watching as Link slowly curled on his side and clutched as his chest while Marth lay eerily still, their crimson blood dripping off the blade of his sword. Slowly, he held one of his hands up...

"I thank you both, from the bottom of my empty, dead heart for taking the bait," he chuckled coldly, fingering the medallion that had materialized in his hand. "And for your foolish pride... thinking you could defeat me..."

Silently, Ike tossed the medallion away from the fallen swordsmen, his ruby eyes following the emblem's path through the air; it bounced once against the shadowy floor before slowly transforming into a portal once again...

He walked toward the portal, a faint frown forming on his face--

The sudden sound of uneven, hurried footsteps made him pause.

Then he turned--

A pained gasp of shock escaped Ike's lips as Link drove the Master Sword deep into Ike's chest; the sapphire-haired mercenary slowly collapsed onto the weakened Hylian, dark scarlet blood flowing down his lips...

Link pushed Ike off of his blade using his foot, stumbling away from what had once been his friend, watching him fall before turning away--

There was no scream as the Hylian felt a blade slamming against his back; his harsh fall knocked him back into the realm of unconsciousness...

"You humans," Ike growled, spitting blood out of his mouth as he rose to his feet, "are a damned group of fools. Your 'holy' weapons never had an effect on me, and never will... not even in this body."

Calmly, he rested a hand over the wound on his chest; shadows silently swirled around him until no trace of the injury remained...

"Find me," Ike hissed, a cruel smirk playing at his lips. "If you can..."

His dark chuckle echoed in the void as he stepped through the portal, disappearing from the land of darkness.

* * *

(End chapter nine.

I've got to say, this is starting to get really cool... but then again, I wrote this. If I didn't think it was cool, there'd be a bit of a problem, wouldn't it?

Pleas review.)


	10. Next Step

(Hoo boy.

Here's a deep, dark secret-- or not. I'm extremely tired... in general. Not of this story, just...

Sleeeeeeep. Me gustaaaaaa.

Epon64, you were one of my many nonsensical sources of inspiration. By nonsensical, I mean there is no logical correlation between this story and yours. ...sorta. Either way, you are an inspiration!

Last chapter, Link and Marth got pwned, the darkness escaped using Ike as its vessel... and all that happened in under 1100 words.

This chapter's going to be a lot more than that, I promise.

Let's begin.

All characters © Nintendo)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Ten: Next Step

* * *

_The Great Illumination banished the darkness that had returned, restoring order to the lands-- but not soon enough; chaos would forever follow the mortals._

_To protect them from a certain demise, The Great Illumination sealed the darkness away..._

* * *

Blood everywhere...

Blood dripping from their wounds, pooling on the ground...

Blood pouring out of their bodies...

A soft chime shattered the monotonous _drip drip drip_ of the blood.

Link groaned softly as consciousness suddenly returned to him...

"...gahh... my head..."

Slowly, he sat up, tiredly rubbing his sapphire eyes...

Another quiet chime made the Hylian look up.

"...oww..."

As the fairy disappeared in a feeble flash of light, Marth rolled onto his side, clutching loosely at his head.

"My head... ow..."

"Rise and shine, Marth," Link muttered, slowly rising to his feet, taking his Master Sword in his hand. "You alright?"

"No," the Altean prince moaned, finally sitting upright. "I guess I will be later... but definitely not now."

Foul thoughts crossed the blonde man's mind as his friend slowly got over his pain; anger flickered in his cerulean eyes...

"I'm going to kill that bastard."

Marth glanced up at his comrade.

"Who's the bastard?"

"Both of them," Link snapped. "The darkness for taking Ike-- and Ike for letting himself be taken. Both of them can taste the cold steel of my sword!"

An uneasy silence fell over the two swordsmen as Link's fierce statement echoed in the empty dark...

"...Link... you must stay calm," Marth finally spoke gently, rising to his feet and approaching the Hylian. "I can understand your anger... but if you truly believe that, then are you really any better than the darkness?"

"I don't care," Link growled. "Marth, he was a damn fool-- and now look what's happened! Now we're stuck here, Pit's dying, Ike's been possessed--"

"...Link."

"--we have to save Ike before we can save Pit, and who knows if we have that kind of time--"

"_Link._"

"..we can't even do _that_ until we get out of--"

"_Link!!_"

"_What?!_"

Marth pointed behind the Hylian, who quickly turned his head--

The portal stood there, beckoning the swordsmen to come closer to the void...

"...huh."

"...the last thing I remember, he was saying 'Find me if you can,'" Marth suddenly recalled. "He's leading us... we'll have to be careful, but there's still hope."

"...but only if we hurry," Link frowned. "...you okay enough to travel, Marth?"

"Now I am, yeah."

"Then let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

"Pit? Pit, it's time to wake up..."

Samus' gentle rapping on the closed wooden door was greeted with silence.

"...Pit?"

Quietly, she opened the door.

"Pit, are you i--"

The young angel lay in a heap on the floor by the glass door, his dull sapphire eyes streaming tears; feathers lay around him, resting over his arms, in piles on the ground...

Feathers lay in his pale, clenched fists.

"Pit, are you alright?!"

Samus dashed to his side, one of her hands resting on his neck--

"...l-leave me..."

His weak voice stopped her panicked actions.

"Pit...? What's wrong?"

The angel never glanced up...

"... he... he's gone..."

She couldn't help it; the bounty hunter felt fear crawl down her back.

"...who, Pit...? Who's gone?"

The tears continued to flow from Pit's eyes, never once faltering, never once slowing...

"Ike... Ike... h-he's..."

Samus said nothing-- just lifted the young angel into her lap and wrapped her arms around him; but not even her comforting hold could calm Pit, not in the slightest...

A thick sob escaped his lips.

* * *

"Now, _this_ is what I call fortunate..."

Link couldn't help but chuckle softly as a familiar wind blew his golden bangs out of his cerulean eyes...

"Where are we?" Marth queried, taking in the sight of his surroundings-- seemingly endless green fields littered with flowers, and in the distance, an imposing castle, whose spires reached to the heavens...

"East Hyrule Field, if I'm not mistaken," the Hylian grinned, the land of his birth restoring vigor to his soul. "We're close to the castle, too-- this is just too damn perfect. ...c'mon! We've got to get to Castle Town."

"Why?"

"Because I have an idea, this is _my_ home, and I _said_ so!"

And with that, Link marched forward, followed by an exasperated Marth.

* * *

Telma's bar had always welcomed lost travelers and weary adventurers. It was a refuge for runaways, a haven for righteous people labeled bandits, a heaven for the helpers of Hyrule and a hell for the vandals that dare try to destroy the kingdom.

On this day, her bar was once again graced with Link's presence. (1)

"Well, he-llo there, Link!" Telma called out, a jovial smile on her face as she tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Haven't seen you in quite some time, dear!"

"Such is the life of the traveler, isn't it?" Link laughed lightly, dragging a very confused Marth through the doorway. "How're you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine," the innkeeper grinned, brushing off the crumbs from her dress and apron. "But never mind me-- what can I do for you and your friend, hon?"

"Is Shad here?" (2)

"Yeah, he's in the back. He's really gotten into this one book lately, so y'might have to bop him on the head to get his attention."

"Thanks, Telma. C'mon, Marth."

The Altean prince hurriedly followed his Hylian friend through the building, quickly reaching the only table in the back corner of the building...

"Shad?"

A young man, maybe just four or five years older than Link and with fiery red hair, glanced up from his book, his dark green eyes hidden behind glasses...

"Link!"

The elated tone in his gentle voice perfectly matched his expression as he stood up, taking Link's hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"I haven't seen you since the siege on the castle! How have you been?" (3)

Marth stared at his blonde friend incredulously.

_You did WHAT?!_

"Oh, I've been alright," Link shrugged, breaking off the handshake and taking a seat across from Shad. "I do wish, however, that this reunion could be under better circumstances..."

"Is something wrong?" the redhead queried, his expression curious as he fell back into his chair.

"Yeah, you cou-- Marth, _sit_ already. The chair's not going to bite you."

"R-right, sorry..."

The Altean prince hastily scrambled into a chair.

"Shad..." the Hylian began, his voice low and serious. "...what have you heard of The Great Illumination?"

Shad's eyes widened.

"The-- ...Link, where did you--"

"You've heard something? Tell me, what do you know?"

The shocked expression on Shad's face barely flickered as he held up his book, worn with age.

"Only what I was told as a child... and what my father recorded from his dreams," he replied softly. "He claimed that these dreams were truths given to him by the goddesses... and the difference between these and what I'd heard is... frightening, to say the least..."

"What differences are there?" Marth asked, finally finding his voice once again.

"As a child, I was told of how darkness covered the land-- until The Great Illumination killed it and brought us life, light and the goddesses," the scholar began. "However, I only recently found this book-- a record of every dream he had related to the issue..."

"So they speak of The Great Illumination and the darkness?"

"Terrible, terrible things... things I could never imagine happening, and yet seem so frighteningly real," Shad nodded grimly. "...why are you suddenly so interested in this, Link?"

The Hylian paused...

"...a friend of ours... is... possessed by the darkness," he admitted, his tone tense. "We need to find a way to free him."

"...I see."

A nervous sigh escaped Shad's lips as he slowly adjusted his glasses.

"One of the first entries-- here, right there--" --Shad opened the book to an early page. "--it says that the darkness cannot die. 'A thing without a heart or soul cannot be truly destroyed, only banished.' So, The Great Illumination could not have killed the darkness... it merely sent the darkness to another realm."

"Like how the goddesses sent the magicians to the realm of twilight?"

"Similar to that, yes."

"How was it different?" Link asked.

"The darkness had the power to come back-- not all at once, but rather quickly," Shad explained. "Therefore, The Great Illumination created seals to keep it in its dimension... here-- there's something about that around here..."

Quickly, the redhead flipped through the book, finding a page and showing it to the swordsmen. Link and Marth leaned forward to get a better view of the small handwriting...

_11/2_

_Darkness struggling to break free, but restrained by 3 powers from 3 lands. TGI has sealed the darkness w/ 3 magic items. One from this land, two from others. So that the darkness can't come back, seals are most likely unsafe for mere mortals to touch..._

"There's seals keeping the darkness at bay?" Link muttered as Marth struggled to understand the Hylian writing...

Link had lied, the Altean prince decided. Listening to and speaking Hylian was infinitely easier than reading it.

"Yes," Shad nodded. "One here, in Hyrule; one in a land of half-beasts and men; one, in the land lost to time..."

"Looks like we've got some traveling to do," the blonde man groaned quietly. "...one last thing, Shad; have you come across anything saying how to _kill_ the darkness?"

"I... haven't come across anything yet..."

A frustrated sigh escaped Link's lips.

"...alright. Thank you, Shad..."

Link and Marth rose to their feet...

"...take the book with you, Link."

The blonde man's sapphire eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-what? No, I couldn't do that-- it was your father's..."

"Link, you could look through it to find the information you need-- it will do you no good sitting in my hands here," Shad insisted, pressing the worn book into the Hylian's hands. "If it will help you help your friend, then I have no problems with you taking it."

"...you're too kind," Link smiled, taking the book from his friend.

"May the goddesses bless both of you on your journey... be careful."

"We will."

Link and Marth slipped out of the inn.

* * *

(End chapter ten.

(1) Telma's bar is a major plot point for several events in Twilight Princess.

(2) Shad is a nerd who plays a somewhat important role in the last quarter of the game. He's also kind of cute.

(3) True story! A cutscene from the final dungeon in Twilight Princess.

That was... a lot of typing. Wow.

Hmm... not much to say. I'm working on other stories too, so... yeah.

Please review!)


	11. Denial

(Hello! I'm back with chapter eleven!

Lately I've been having serious focus problems... hopefully it won't take too many breaks between the typing of these author notes and the writing of the last author notes...

This chapter has more, heavier Twilight Princess elements to it-- but don't worry. I'll do like I did in earlier chapters, with my notes.

Also, this chapter is more implicative of IkexPit. Don't like it? Then why on earth are you reading this?

Let's begin.

All characters, items © Nintendo)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Eleven: Denial

* * *

_The seals took the chaos of the worlds, trapping them in cursed objects. Mortals were forbidden to to touch them; rumors of their unholy power spread anxiety among the humans._

_The Great Illumination grew sad, knowing that it had inspired fear into the people; but there was no other choice..._

* * *

"Link, where do we go from here?"

The two swordsmen trudged through the expansive eastern Hyrule Field, the fiery sun beginning to dip below the skyline. (1)

"To the Lanayru Shrine," the Hylian replied. "I think I may know what the Hyrule seal is." (2)

"Yeah? What?"

"...the Fused Shadows."

Though he walked in front of Marth, Link could feel the confused Altean's stare on the back of his neck.

"I told you about Midna, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, she gathered up this lost power to face the King of Shadows, and wouldn't let me touch it," the blonde man explained. "This power took on the form of solid shadows-- it was the lost power of our ancestors, the last remnants of an ancient, forbidden magic..."

"Wait-- you mentioned something about these to me once before..." Marth suddenly recalled. "...didn't you say Ganondorf had destroyed the Shadows?" (3)

"Yeah, he did," Link nodded. "But the goddesses restored them... up until now, I never could have guessed why-- but if I'm right, and they're a seal, then I'll finally know."

"Alright... and why are we going to this shrine?"

Link paused only for the briefest of moments...

"The guardian of the Fused Shadows dwells in the Lanayru Shrine."

From there, they progressed in silence.

* * *

Blood...

Blood everywhere...

Blood cloaking his limbs, staining his white robes...

The crimson liquid dripped from his skin, fell from his hair, saturated his patchy wings with its dark hue...

A rough, calloused hand cautiously rested on his face; he slowly opened his cerulean eyes...

"I-Ike...?"

Ike gently brushed away the blood from the angel's face, his pallid hand now stained with scarlet.

"...Ike..."

"Why have you done this?"

The mercenary's expression never faltered; his blank navy eyes always looked down at Pit, whose own eyes widened slowly with confusion.

"Wh-what...? I-I... I didn't--"

"You deny it? Deny that my blood is on your hands... deny that you are drowning in your sin?"

"N-no-- no, I--"

Desperately, the young angel pressed his hands to Ike's heart; he could only watch in horror as the blood on his hands rolled down the mercenary's tunic, leaving no stain behind...

"Don't shove your guilt on me..."

"I-- I didn't do anything to you-- Ike...!"

"You did this all..."

"N-no--"

"...I just carried out your sentence."

"Ike!!"

A cold chill overtook the angel as Ike faded out of his reach...

Pit awoke from his nightmare in tears.

* * *

"I am never doing that again. _Ever._"

"Man, you can fight off dragons, but just holding onto a _cucco _and you cry like a _baby..._"

"You said this was fun-- I agree! Fun, like chewing on rusty nails. That's _exactly_ my idea of a good time." (4)

Link rolled his eyes, fixing his hat as Marth brushed the dark brown feathers out of his sapphire hair.

"Well, you can't say it's not efficient. The entrance to the shrine is right across the bridge-- c'mon, let's go."

Despite the creaks and groans of the old wood, the bridge held the swordsmen over the water, carrying them safely across the many small islands that dotted Lake Hylia...

"What are we going to do after we get the Fused Shadows?" the Altean prince queried, still slightly frazzled by his unwanted flight.

"...uh... well, we'll look through the--"

A surge of dark energy flew from the entrance of the shrine just as Link and Marth walked onto the stone steps; pained cries escaped their lips, the sound cut short as they flew back, unconscious as they crashed into the icy water of the lake...

"You will look through nothing."

Ike stepped forward from the shadow of the shrine's entrance, four pieces of solid shadow hovering around him...

"Such power in these few shadows," he chuckled softly, snatching the front of the headpiece, an affectionate shimmer in his scarlet eyes. "...she did a damn good job, hiding my power away. I'm almost impressed..."

The shadow melted in his hand, vanishing into a wisp of dark vapor; the other pieces disintegrated into the same soft cloud, slowly surrounding the mercenary, latching onto his torn, bloody clothes...

"I will spare you this one time," Ike smirked, almost scoffing at the unconscious bodies of Link and Marth as they floated farther and farther away. "When you wake, remember to thank me for my mercy."

He sauntered off, fading away as he stepped into shadows.

* * *

(End chapter eleven.

(1) All geography is based on the Wii version of Twilight Princess.

(2) Hyrule is divided into four provinces in Twilight Princess, each with a different Light Spirit. Lanayru is the biggest province.

(3) True story! Play the game for more info.

(4) To get down to Lake Hylia, you have to fly with a cucco. Fun!

For being only four pages, a lot of stuff happened, didn't it? Just wait till next chapter...

Please review!)


	12. Greed

(Wow... it's chapter twelve already? This is just too damn cool...

This is definitely one of the longer chapters. How can I tell?

There's doodles all along the margins of the pages I wrote on.

Just as a warning: anyone who hates yaoi, this chapter may offend you!

Of course, why would you be reading this then? Whatever... you were warned!

Let's begin.

All characters except the darkness © Nintendo

Darkness © Me)

* * *

The Temptation of Darkness

Chapter Twelve: Greed

* * *

_For ages, the seals remained stable, safely keeping the darkness away from the realm of light. The tales the goddesses had spun ensured that no foolish mortal would threaten the safety of their world; peace reigned supreme..._

_Until the flood of Tellius. (1)_

* * *

The eerie silence that had settled over the lake was broken only by the quiet splashing of miniature waves breaking against the shore...

"...ngh..."

Light sapphire eyes opened, their owner floating in the cold water as he was greeted by near-total darkness...

"...wh-- _gah!_"

With a sudden cry, Link dove underwater; an invisible blade sliced at where he had been just moments before, cutting through the water like a sword through air.

The Hylian's head poked back above the surface; a ghostly blue light, trapped in a lamp, floated just out of his reach, a haunting laugh ringing in pointed ears. (2)

"Go away!" he barked, quickly searching the water for Marth--

The Altean prince had floated ashore; he lay on his back in the damp dirt, the silent waves continuously soaking his clothes.

Link swam off, abandoning the mystic light; a few minutes later, he staggered onto solid ground, walking a few short steps before collapsing to his knees.

"Marth... Marth, wake up."

"...nh... ow..."

With a low groan, Marth cringed, slowly opening his dark blue eyes.

"Wh... where are... what happened...?"

"...the stupid bastard got to the seal before us, that's what happened," Link growled, shivering as a chill wind blew over his damp body. "Damnit... he was probably waiting for us..."

"Well... what do we do now?" the Altean queried, sitting up as he tiredly rang the water out of his damp hair.

The Hylian paused, thinking.

"...a land lost to time..."

"Hm?"

Link's stern gaze shifted ever so slightly towards Lanayru's shrine...

"...how's a swim across a haunted lake to find out more information sound to you, Marth?"

Marth groaned.

"You _are_ good at figuring out _all_ of my lifelong dreams, aren't you?"

"Either we swim for twenty minutes or we walk for fifty. Pick."

"We're swimming."

Link waded back into the water, taking off like a rocket; Marth muttered quietly to himself before following in his friend's waves.

* * *

Dawn broke just as Link and Marth stepped out of the shrine.

"Okay, so... the land lost to time is the old Hyrule, and the way there is through the Temple of Time. Obvious enough..."

The Altean prince remained silent.

"Lanayru said that the Master Sword was the key to the past... hm... ...I drew it from the pedestal with the Triforce design facing me, but what if I tried putting it in backwards? Would that open a new path? ...I suppose we'll find out when we get there, huh?"

"...please stop talking."

Link shot a confused glance at his royal friend.

"Is something wrong?"

"A part of me is dying a bloody, painful death," Marth began. "I am in mourning."

"...what part?"

An exasperated sigh rolled off of the Altean's lips...

"...the part that... that always called you a thoughtless fool. Why must you kill it so... so brutally?"

Link grinned, chuckling lightly.

"C'mon-- we've got a ways to go, and not much time to get there. We must fly!"

"You'd _better_ not mean it literally...!"

* * *

A holy place, separated from the carelessness of men by a nearly impassable gorge, further removed by a winding maze that no compass could guide any traveler through... a location permanently left in isolation, unvisited for ages until only recently...

Here sat the gateway to the land lost to the past...

Here he waited for the Hero to open the door.

Ike growled impatiently, drumming his fingers against the stone doorway, ignoring the unnatural silence that had settled upon his arrival.

"Magic," he spoke suddenly, no trace of frustration in his voice, "is one of the oldest forces in existence. In fact... it's almost as old as I am. Can you imagine that?"

The rustle of the wind in the leaves was the only reply he received.

"Of course, I suppose in this body, I'm only nineteen... even by your pathetic standards, that's not very long, is it?" the mercenary shrugged. "Nineteen years pass in the blink of an eye... nineteen years spent dedicated solely to magic would only barely get you accustomed to the basics."

A faint smirk played at his lips; slowly, he stretched his arms over his head as he glanced at a pile of shattered stone, close to where Ragnell rested...

"So how foolish are you, to believe that you could defeat me with a power that I have been practicing since its creation... a power that I helped to create?"

Where his crimson eyes focused, a spectral image appeared...

Ike's spirit glowered at his body from across the clearing.

Now that the darkness held more control over Ike's body, the colorings changed; the dark sapphire locks of hair morphed to a faded black, falling haphazardly around its face while the skin paled to a more cadaverous shade of white. The crimson eyes, the whole time flecked with violet, finally became pure in their ruby hue...

"I'm not a fool," Ike hissed, his faint voice nearly lost in the wind.

"Ha! You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" the darkness scoffed, the tone of the voice so much harsher than it had been before. "Tell me, boy, did you really believe you could destroy me? You, a mere mortal, with no power to call your own?"

"What would my answer matter? It can't change the fact that things have gone horribly wrong."

The darkness shook its head slowly, a faint smirk playing at its pallid lips.

"For a human... oh, wait, you're from Ashera's world, aren't you? My _sincerest_ apologies... for a _beorc,_ you haven't got much of a backbone, do you? Just giving up hope like that..."

Ike scowled, his navy eyes burning with repressed anger.

"I beg to differ--"

"Begging's the one good skill you have--"

"It would take a lot of guts to face the unknown-- to face a force so powerful, it can steal the light out of living beings. How many 'mere mortals' have _you_ seen even _try_ to destroy you?"

There was a quiet pause as the darkness pondered briefly over Ike's words...

"...tell me-- what made you and your friends decide to even try facing me?" it asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Surely you had _some_ idea that your journey wouldn't be a walk through the park..."

"You know the answer to that, don't you?" the mercenary scowled, his misty form fading in the obscured sunlight. "You've been in my head... you've seen my thoughts. Why do you even bother asking?"

"Because that's only partially true," the darkness sighed, slowly approaching the ethereal manifestation of its host. "Unfortunately for me, I can only read the strongest thoughts... and you really don't do much thinking at all. So, please, enlighten me; what could possibly be your motivator?"

"Pit's my--"

"Oh, don't you _even_ try to feed me that 'He's my best friend' bullshit, I've heard it thousands of times," the darkness snapped. "Not even twin brothers would so foolishly sacrifice themselves as you have. There must be another rea--"

It paused...

The wicked grin that spread across its face greatly unnerved Ike, who rose slowly to his ghostly feet.

"What...?"

"That twerp is pretty attractive by mortal standards, isn't he?" the darkness chuckled, idly strolling over to Ike, walking in slow circles around the mercenary. "Bright blue eyes, dark hair... maybe a bit short, hm? But you don't seem to care much..."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Oh... such a fierce reaction... that must be it, then. You _want_ him, don't you? You want him all to yourself... and I've taken him away. That's it, isn't it?"

"He's my _friend!_" Ike snapped, quickly sliding away from the darkness. "If I want _anything,_ it's just for him to live!"

"So he can see another day?" the darkness smirked. "Please. You want him to live... so he can keep giving you those looks, smiling that special smile, laughing in that way that makes your world go upside-down... so that you can keep hoping that some day, he'll fall for you... and then, he's yours, and yours alone."

"You sick sunuvabitch..."

"_Me?_" it scoffed, turning away from Ike as the harsh tone of its laughter filled the air. "Yes, _I'm_ the sick one-- that's _rich,_ considering who it's coming from! The greedy bastard who'd lay down his life just so that he wouldn't have to live without his precious _angel!_"

"_Shut up!_" the mercenary bellowed, his translucent face red with fury. "Even if it _were_ true, I'd still be better than_ you_-- at least _I_ don't take innocent lives just so I can achieve world domination!"

"Domination?"

The darkness turned, approaching Ike, only scorn in his scarlet eyes...

"Why would I want that?" it asked, its voice low and threatening as one of its pallid hands rested on the mercenary's shoulder. "Tell me-- why would I want to run the risk of having some foolish being go and try to destroy me, like you... or like the Light did, back before even your goddess could draw breath? No... I will have nothing to do with any of your light worlds."

"Then why even bother attacking us?" Ike growled, trying to jerk away but seemingly rooted to where he stood. "Why bother, if you want nothing to do with us?"

The thin smile on the darkness' face vanished, replaced only by a burning glare...

"You don't get it, do you?"

Its fingers clawed into the mercenary's semisolid shoulder; Ike hissed, the pain an unexpected sign that he could still feel...

"All those ages ago, I used to call this place my home," the darkness began, hatred blazing in his expression. "Then that Light came... and shoved me into that hell, the place now known as the Realm of Shadows. I tried to come back... and it locked me back up and damn near threw away the keys. After thousands of years stuck, thousands of years locked up in that nightmare... what do you think I want?"

It didn't even wait for an answer; Ike's navy eyes widened in horror as he stood perfectly still, fearing the hand that had tightly grasped his neck...

"I want to get the fuck out."

The darkness' expression only grew more foul as Ike refused to panic...

"And you're going to continue to help me... whether you want to or not. _Got it?_"

"Even if you do get out," the mercenary growled, struggling to remain calm as it became increasingly more difficult to breathe, "it'll be for nothing... The Great Illumination got rid of you once before--"

"Yeah... when it was awake."

Its hateful expression simmered down to mere loathing; nevertheless, Ike continued to find breathing quite difficult...

"Only the goddesses together can awaken the Light... and yours is sleeping. Furthermore, they can only petition the Light for help once all the seals have been broken... and by then, it will be too late for anything to happen. All the chaos in the worlds... even now, my strength is greater than it has been before-- I am only subdued by the limitations of your feeble body. Just imagine... a little more... and you'll all be gone..."

Ike gasped quietly for breath as the darkness finally released him...

"...and I'll be home once again."

It turned away...

"You... will never return here."

Unnatural silence loomed between the two beings as Ike glowered at the darkness.

"Before that happens," he hissed, pointing, "I will destroy you myself... I will find a way to crush you with my own hands!"

"Try!" the darkness snapped, whipping around to face the mercenary--

Only a faint outline remained as Ike disappeared in the sunlight.

Dark locks of faded black morphed back to sapphire; color barely crept back into the pallid skin, and violet once again stained the pure crimson eyes...

"Ike" shuddered briefly before growling in disgust.

"Let's see you try to destroy me... don't forget, it's by _my_ decree that you still exist."

Only the wind dared to respond to his words.

* * *

(End chapter twelve.

(1) There was a huge flood near the beginning of time for Ike's world that destroyed lots of stuff.

(2) That's an Imp Poe. They're bitches, because you can only defeat them while transformed.

Okay... right now, this is my favorite chapter. Like, really. The second half of the chapter turned out _much_ better than I had originally planned.

Please review!)


End file.
